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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28553511">Return of the Belmonts</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LumiOlivier/pseuds/LumiOlivier'>LumiOlivier</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Last of the Belmonts [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Castlevania (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Dhampir Belmont, F/M, domestic angst</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-05-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-11 00:20:44</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>56,403</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28553511</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LumiOlivier/pseuds/LumiOlivier</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Five years have gone by since Eden, along with her Uncle Trevor, Sypha, Alucard and a reluctant Hector, took out Carmilla and her sisters.  The Belmont family is finally starting to reclaim their ancestral land.  Along with a precious addition to the family.  However, not everyone finds that new addition to the Belmont family as precious as her parents does.  Sometimes, a family is two dhampirs, a speaker magician, and a notorious/disgraced vampire hunter.  Sometimes, that's not always looked on so favorably.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hector/OC, Trevor Belmont/Sypha Belnades</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Last of the Belmonts [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2092008</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Rebuild</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hello!  It's been a while.  How long has it been since I posted Castlevania?  Last September, I think?   Yeah.  The end of last September.  Holy hell.  Well, we're back, my loves.  We're back and better than ever!  I missed writing for Castlevania.  Now, are we ready to get back into it?  Because I sure as hell am!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Time is a strange thing.  One moment, someone could barely be scraping by.  In the next, they’re living like a king.  Kind of like a little dhampir that went from being on her own to being Styrian royalty.  Albeit now disgraced Styrian royalty.  Or how she went from disgraced Styrian royalty to the Belmont she was always meant to be at the drop of a hat.  I still think of that day every now and then.  It’s hard to believe that was five years ago.  But it’s not like I haven’t been keeping busy since then.  Oh, hell no.</p><p><br/>
</p><p>Uncle Trevor wouldn’t have allowed such a thing.  If I wasn’t out traipsing the Wallachian countryside in search of monster ass to kick with Uncle Trevor and Sypha, we were at home, rebuilding the former ruins of the Belmont estate.  The time had come for us to reclaim what was rightfully ours.  It’s not like anyone else had tried rebuilding on our land.  The church made it very clear that everything the Belmont family touches is cursed.</p><p><br/>
</p><p>More bullshit rhetoric to keep the people scared and complacent.  We weren’t the ones who killed Dr. Tepes in cold blood.  We weren’t the ones who sat idly by as night hordes tore Wallachia apart and made her people into vampire food.  All we wanted was to make sure to see her live another day.  And what did that get us?  Ostracized from our ancestral home?  Burned at the stake for allegedly dealing in black magic?  My god, I have been spending too much time with Uncle Trevor lately.  I sound just like him.</p><p><br/>
</p><p>But after five years of fighting monsters, it’s taught me one thing.  How to appreciate the downtime.  And how to appreciate the little things.  Especially one little thing in particular that stole my heart on day one.  And as we put the finishing touches on the house, she should not be running around here. </p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Eden!  Eden!  Eden!” a sweet little voice called out to me.  Only for its source to come barreling around the corner to attack my leg.</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Hi, Mari,” I put my hammer down and threw my arms around my adorable little cousin.  Her dark curls fell in her face, covering up those big, dark eyes of hers.  Those were definitely her father’s eyes, “Be careful where you walk around here, ok, sweetheart?  I wouldn’t want you stepping on a nail.  Can’t imagine getting one of those in the foot would be much fun.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Are you done yet?” Mari whined, hanging on my leg, “I want to see our new house.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Almost,” I promised, “We need to put in a few more windows and ward it.  Then, we should be able to move in by the end of the week.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Yay!” she squealed.  I never thought I’d be the type to like kids, but dammit, this one…This one got to me.</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“What?” I teased her, “You don’t like living in Uncle Alucard’s castle while we’re home?”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Can’t say I do,” a deeper voice rumbled from the doorway, “The sooner we finish here, the better.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Hush, you,” I rolled my eyes.  Thank God, Mari got her personality from her mother.  Because one Uncle Trevor in this world was plenty, “Do you see what I’ve been working with, Mari?  All day with this one.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Daddy!” Mari didn’t care about my plight.  As long as she had him, she’d be ok.</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“What are you doing here, Mari?” Uncle Trevor wondered, “I thought you were helping your mother with dinner.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Mama says dinner is ready,” she reported, peeling herself off my leg.</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Alright,” I pushed her hair out of her face, “Thank you, Mari.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Tell your mother we’ll be there shortly,” Uncle Trevor ordered, “And Mari…”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Hmm?”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Come here…” Uncle Trevor got down to her level.</p><p><br/>
</p><p>Mari ran over to him, “What is it, Daddy?”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>He scooped her up into his arms and kissed her cheek, “Give that to Mama for me.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“I will,” Mari’s face scrunched up.</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“But this one…” Uncle Trevor kissed her other cheek, “That one’s for you.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Daddy!” she groaned, her cheeks turning red.</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Go on,” he put her back on the floor, “Go see Mama.  Tell her I’ll be there in a minute.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Ok!” Mari started heading out, “Are you coming, too, Eden?”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“I think I’ll sit this one out,” I shot her down, “But I’ll be around if you need me.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“But Eden…” Mari pouted, “You need to eat, too.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“I’ll catch something in the woods,” I promised, “It’s been a while since I had a good hunt.  No need to worry about me.  But thank you, Mari.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Go,” Uncle Trevor reiterated, “Go see Mama.  Go give her what I told you.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“I will!” And there she goes.  Off to send a sweet message to Sypha and stuff her belly until she can’t move.</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Well,” I dusted myself off, “I’m going to…”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Eden,” Uncle Trevor cut me off, “Are you sure you’ll be ok?”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>I hated when he could see through me.  I hated it so much.  If I said I’ve been ok, I’d be lying, “Yeah.  I’ll be fine.  I’ll manage anyway.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Eden,” he put a hand to my shoulder, “You know he’ll be back.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“I know,” I sighed out, “Uncle Trevor, it’s been two years now.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>I remember the day we met.  Beaten and bruised and chained behind Carmilla’s convoy outside of Braila.  And then again in her dungeon.  It was oddly enough one of Mari’s favorite bedtime stories.  The time when Mama and Daddy and Uncle Alucard took on a royal coven of vampires in the city square of Braila with her favorite cousin and the forgemaster she liberated from Carmilla’s dungeons.  And once they were gone…Well, I don’t tell Mari what happened after.  Hell, Uncle Trevor doesn’t even know about that.  And it would stay that way or Hector would end up praying for the treatment Carmilla gave him tenfold.</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“You miss him,” Uncle Trevor figured, “Don’t you, Eden?”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Terribly,” I laid my head on his shoulder.</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“He’ll be back,” he promised, “One day, you’re going to look down the road here and he’s going to come over the hill and around the corner and there he’ll be.  Likely with some sort of half dead creature following him.  Hector probably misses you, too.  For whatever reason, I think he likes you.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Gee,” I stared blankly into the distance, “Thanks, Uncle Trevor.  You really know how to pick up a girl when she’s down.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“I already told you this, Eden,” Uncle Trevor groaned, “I’m not good with the motivational speech bullshit.  If you want that, you’ll have to go to Sypha.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“I kind of figured,” I gave him a smack to the shoulder, “But you tried.  And that’s all that matters.  One would think fatherhood would’ve changed you.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Only slightly,” he assured me, “Only slightly.  And Mari understands my motivational speeches better than anyone else I know.  She knows what I’m trying to say.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“She gets that from her mother,” I figured, “Sypha’s pretty good at interpreting that, too.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“She learned, though,” Uncle Trevor walked me out, “Mari knew that the day she came out of the womb.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>I remembered that day like it was yesterday.  Hell, it felt like it was yesterday.  Uncle Trevor, Sypha, and I were on the road on our way back here when Sypha went into labor.  Not to brag or anything, but I was the first face Mari ever saw.  Mostly because despite all the time Uncle Trevor has spent tearing monsters limb from limb, he couldn’t stand the miracle of childbirth without getting queasy.  I specifically remember him saying something along the lines of, ‘Just because I’m the one that put her there doesn’t mean I want to see her coming out’.  Or something like that.  And then, there she was.  Baby Mari was born in the back of the wagon half a mile from home.  Adrian came to meet us shortly after.  We got her cleaned up and taken care of and back home we went.</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“I’m going to go on a hunt,” I decided.</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“And after?” Uncle Trevor wondered, “You don’t need to be by yourself, Eden.  You know you’re more than welcome to join us.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“I know,” I nodded, “I’ll think about it.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Ok,” he backed off, “Until later then.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“See you later.” And I took off light a bat out of hell toward the woods.  It’s been a while since I had any blood in me.  Maybe a couple weeks.  I needed something big.  Normally, I could appreciate the smaller creatures.  Squirrels, rats, foxes.  That was plenty to quell the thirst my vampiric half cursed me with every once in a while.  But given that I haven’t fed in a couple weeks, I could stand something big.  Mostly for the thrill of the hunt. </p><p><br/>
</p><p>I stood in the middle of the woods and turned all of my senses off.  Except for two.  I listened closely to the wind for heartbeats.  And a few different smells caressed my nose.  Squirrel…Fox…Mountain lion…Now, we’re getting somewhere.  But just beyond that mountain lion…Elk.  That one.  I’ll take that one.  Elk blood may not taste like squirrel, but the rush of taking down a giant elk?  That’ll be worth it.</p><p><br/>
</p><p>I changed form into a raven and took flight toward the clearing.  Three of them.  And big ones, too.  Tonight, I feast like a fucking queen.  I found a spot to land and changed back.  That’s one of those strange perks about being a dhampir.  Sometimes, that shapeshifting thing came in handy.  And of all things for me to be, I couldn’t have asked for a better guardian than a raven’s spirit.  A messenger of good things to come.  Thank you, little raven.  Those few words put such an ache in my chest.  Shortly after I saved Hector from Carmilla and her band of bitches, he hardly mustered the strength to thank me.  He was so fragile then. </p><p><br/>
</p><p>Once I had all those elk drained and in my stomach, I buried them all and gave them their proper sendoff.  Thank you, beautiful creatures, for sustaining me another day.  Your death will not be in vain.  With a heavy feeling in my chest and a full stomach, I started my trek back home.  I knew one place in the world that could ease my sadness.  And nowhere else on this earth could do that quite like the Belmont family hold. </p><p><br/>
</p><p>Generations of Belmont knowledge in one room.  I loved this library so much.  Every time I came down here, I could feel them.  Every one of them.  I could feel Leon’s presence.  And Simon’s presence.  I could feel my mother in these walls.  This was home.  This was where we were meant to be.  It’s a shame we were cast away from our lands for the sake of being a scapegoat for the church.  At least we had the hold again.  Even though it’s now under Dracula’s castle.  But it wasn’t the comfort of the Belmonts of the past I was down here for. </p><p><br/>
</p><p>In the back corner, I kept a box for no one else but for me.  Hector’s letters.  Every single one he’s ever sent me.  I made sure to keep them safe for days like these.  I pulled a few out, just to remember he was still there.  When he said he wanted to go reclaim his humanity in any way he could, I told him I was fine.  I understood then.  He needed to go find himself.  And that was fine.  I just didn’t realize what kind of collateral damage that would leave behind.  However, the words he sent me put me in a much better place.</p><p><br/>
</p><p>
  <em>To my dearest Eden,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>In these many months I’ve been on my own, I find myself searching for your face in every crowded marketplace, in every passing encounter.  One day—I don’t know when—but one day, I may look up and see the whole world in front of me.  My whole world.  Soon, my darling.  Soon.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>All my love,</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Hector</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>I miss him. </p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Eden?” a voice broke the still silence, “I know you’re down here.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Adrian,” I called back, “Yeah.  I’m down here.  Hi.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“What are you doing down here?” Adrian joined me on the floor, “Brushing up on your studies?”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“No,” I knew better than to lie to him flat out.  Adrian knew my tells better than Uncle Trevor did.  And any time I’d lie to him, he’d just bitch at me, so honesty was the best way to avoid the lecture.</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Are you ok?” he looked me over, “I was talking to Trevor earlier.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“And you both live to tell the tale,” I joked, hoping that would take some of the heat off me.</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Believe it or not,” Adrian assured me, “We can be civil.  We’re not completely children.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“I specifically remember you yelling at him for using your fork the other day, Adrian,” I spoke flatly, “Before any of us sat down to eat.  And then, you insulted him by saying you were surprised he was civilized enough to know what a fork was.  Don’t try to give me that we’re not completely children bullshit.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“So, we have our moments,” he brushed me off, “But they’re also just that.  They’re moments.  Now, don’t try to distract me, Eden.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>Fuck, “What did you and Uncle Trevor talk about?”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“You mostly,” Adrian draped an arm around my shoulders, “Are you ok?”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>There’s no sense in trying to hide it.  Of all the men in this world, few could make me feel better like Adrian does.  And Hector understood that.  He knew Adrian was my brother at the end of the day.  Nothing more, nothing less.  And that my love for him was much different than the love we shared.  I cuddled into Adrian’s ribs, “I’m empty.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Let me guess,” Adrian pushed my dark red hair out of my face, “Hector?”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Yeah…” I let out a heavy, depressed sigh, “I miss him, Adrian.  He’s a hard one to pin down.  Just when I think he’s in one place, I suddenly get another letter from somewhere else.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Are you down here torturing yourself with his letters?” he grabbed my letter box, “Eden, I understand you miss him, but this can’t be good for you.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“What else am I supposed to do?” I scoffed, “It’s like I said.  He’s next to impossible to track down.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“You know,” Adrian suggested, “You could track him down…”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“What do you mean?” I perked up, “We can track him?”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“You might want to check that section over there,” he pointed toward an old bookcase a few rows down, “Chances are, you might find some sort of tracking spell.  And a need for rose quartz.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Adrian…” I wondered, “Do you know tracking spells?”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Not personally,” Adrian got up from the floor, helping me shortly after, “But it wouldn’t surprise me if one of the Belmonts somewhere down the line got a little obsessive over someone.  It’s not like you don’t have something of Hector’s to use for calibration.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>Maybe I could do it.  Maybe I could be crazy enough to track Hector down and find him.  I’ve never done something so fucking crazy for love, but I’ve never had Hector before.  Hector was something special.  When all the bullshit with Carmilla was over and everything was ok again, I promised him the most wild night of sex he’d ever have.  Some of my old tricks would come out to play.  But for the longest time, I could only hold him.  That alone was enough for him.  Don’t get me wrong.  We did manage to get that wild night of pure, unadulterated fucking in.  But just holding him?  I could give up sex for the rest of my life if it meant replacing it with that.  Hector soaked up my love like a sponge.  And I loved him for it.</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“I think I will,” I decided, skimming this locator spell, “I’m going to track Hector down and bring him home.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Before you do that,” Adrian wrapped his arms around me, “Maybe you should get some sleep first.  Please.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Damn minor human inconvenience,” I grumbled to myself.</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“You could’ve been turned,” he pointed out, “Carmilla would’ve been more than happy to bite you.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“No,” I knew better, “Are you shitting me?  I’m too Belmont to be a vampire.  A complete one anyway.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“That’s right,” Adrian kissed the top of my head, "Come on.  I’ll put you to bed.”</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Just like the old days,” I awed, having flashbacks to baby Eden’s first adventures in this castle.</p><p><br/>
</p><p>“Of course,” Adrian hid a little smile from me, “Anything for you, bright eyes.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Care</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi, friends!  How are we?  How’s the flow today?  Well, here we are.  Back with another chapter for another week on another Monday.  We’ll be alright, though.  I think anyway.  At least I hope so.  So, let’s see just what kind of shenanigans Eden’s getting into this week, yeah?  And before you get into it, I’m just going to say this.  My love for Alucard only grows with each passing day.  You’ll see what I mean in a sec.  Promise.  Love you x</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>While we’ve been in the process of rebuilding the Belmont estate, I’ve been staying in the renovation more and more, inching further and further away from Adrian’s castle.  It’s not that I’m ungrateful for his hospitality.  Oh, no.  Far from it.  It’s just…I need to be on my own, too.  And what right does a dhampir Belmont have walking the halls of what used to be Dracula’s castle?  It’s bad enough I have vampire blood in me, but the Belmont blood is at war with the other half. </p><p> </p><p>Besides, it’s even better for nights like this where I can’t sleep.  If I can’t sleep, what’s the point in laying in bed when I could be getting something done?  There have been mornings where Uncle Trevor has come back to the house and a whole section has been built.  Granted, we hardly knew what we were doing, but we managed.  So, I started working on the warding.  It was a simple enough magic to learn, but powerful enough to keep us all safe. </p><p> </p><p>However, when I pass out in the middle of carving, it makes the morning after worse than a hangover.  Sleeping on the ground under a comfortable tree is better than sleeping on stone.  Stone hurts the morning after.  Stone hurts like hell.  And to top of the shit cake, it’s an even bigger hell when someone wakes me up from my not so peaceful slumber.  I heard gentle taps on the door.  And each one of them sounded like a cannon firing into my head.</p><p> </p><p>“Eden…?” But that gentle voice floated on the air.  And it nearly made everything better.  Nearly, “Are you in here?”</p><p> </p><p>“Sypha?” I opened my eyes, feeling every creak in my back and my hips.  Sure enough, Sypha stood in the doorway, “What are you doing here?”</p><p> </p><p>“It is my house,” she giggled a bit, “That’s still so strange to say.  I’ve never had a house before.  I was so used to traveling for so long.  It was all I knew.  But then, Mari came along.”</p><p> </p><p>“Damn the kid for making you put down roots,” I joked as my shoulder popped back into place.  A little healing spell and I should be right as rain again.</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Sypha shook her head, “It’s not like we always stay here.  But…I like it.  Having a place where we can come back to.  It’s nice.  The ancestral Belmont lands are beautiful.”</p><p> </p><p>“But admit it, Sypha,” I knew her better than that, “You miss the life of a nomad, don’t you?”</p><p> </p><p>“A little,” she confessed, “But like I said.  It’s nice to have somewhere to come back to.  Somewhere more permanent than wherever our caravan stopped for the night.”</p><p> </p><p>“It is nice, isn’t it?” I agreed.  I knew where Sypha was coming from.  Ever since my mother died, I lived a very nomadic life for a while, too.  I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t fun.  Because damn, it was fun.  But then…Uncle Trevor didn’t give me a choice.  I came home.  And I stayed home.  But a part of me deep down understood Sypha’s plight.  It’s good to be out on the road once in a while, too.</p><p> </p><p>“Are you alright, Eden?” Sypha sat next to me on the floor.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m fine,” I brushed her off, finishing up my healing spell.  Everything had popped back into place and the swelling was nonexistent, “Why?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well…” she began, “I’ve been talking to Alucard recently…”</p><p> </p><p>“Have you?” Dammit, Adrian.  Some of the things I tell you, I tell you in confidence.  Like our conversation last night.  I was at a brief and rare moment of weakness.  That’s not something that needs to see the light of day, “And what did he have to say?”</p><p> </p><p>“We’re worried about you, Eden,” Sypha took my hand, “You’ve been more and more distant lately.  You had to have noticed that.”</p><p> </p><p>“I wouldn’t say I’m distant,” I brushed her off.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s because you’re on the inside, looking out,” she pointed out, “Your uncle was the same way around the time we first met.  It wasn’t until he started listening to me that he realized he harbored a great sadness within himself.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m fine, Sypha,” I assured her, “Really.”</p><p> </p><p>“Are you?” Sypha stared blankly at me, “Are you really?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” I nodded, “I’m fine.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well,” she went on, “I heard you were going off soon.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve been thinking about it,” I admitted.  Fuck, Adrian, what did you tell her?</p><p> </p><p>“Where are you going?” Sypha asked, anxious to hear all about it.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not sure yet.” What harm could a little venting do?  I’m sure news will end up spreading eventually, “I wish I knew how to make a distance mirror.  Or at the very least, I wish I would’ve kept my distance mirror shard Carmilla gave me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Alucard can.”</p><p> </p><p>“He can?” I perked up, suddenly filled with a good burst of energy.</p><p> </p><p>“I think he can,” Sypha twiddled her thumbs, “I’m pretty sure he can.  His magic is different from my own.  But I remember him fixing the runes on the distance mirror in the library.  It’s how we got the castle.  But that mirror hasn’t worked in a long time.  The glyphs are too worn down.”</p><p> </p><p>That might be one of those things our vampire half has blessed upon us.  Without another thought, I threw my arms around Sypha, hugging her tight, “Thank you, Sypha.  You don’t know it yet, but you just did something absolutely fucking wonderful.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re welcome?” she looked at me strange, “Where are you off to now?”</p><p> </p><p>“To see my brother!” I bolted for the castle, using every bit of strength and speed I had.  I made it a point to show up on foot.  Even though I’ve come into my powers a little better, that didn’t mean I liked to use them.  Not for trivial things.  When I got to the castle, I stood in the entrance and shut my eyes.</p><p> </p><p>I could smell him.  He was here.  And he was awake.  Upstairs.  In one of the libraries.  I ran up the stairs, but immediately stopped outside one room.  One very special room.  One that had the smell of iron and human blood and old parchment and sunflowers.  One that broke my heart.  I climbed up onto Hector’s forging table and shut my eyes.  I missed this smell.  I missed this smell terribly.  But then, a little bark was all I needed to make me smile again.</p><p> </p><p>Hello, Cesar.  What are you doing in here all by yourself?  What am I doing in here all by myself?  I picked up the little pug and held him in my arms.  You miss him, too, don’t you, boy?  That’s alright.  We’ll miss him together.  Then, I’ll go see what I can do about bringing him back.  He doesn’t think he has a home either.  But he’s wrong.  He just doesn’t realize it yet.  What do you say, buddy?  Let’s go see what we can do about bringing Hector back, ok?</p><p> </p><p>I put Cesar back on the floor and he followed me all the way to the library where Adrian was on his hands and knees and Mari rode on his back.  Any other day, I would’ve let them be.  Mostly because this was fucking adorable.  But right now, I had more pressing matters to attend to, “Mari, I need to speak with Uncle Alucard for a minute.”</p><p> </p><p>“But he can’t speak,” Mari put her foot down, “Not unless I tell him to.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, sweetheart,” I awed, “You are going to be a force to be reckoned with when you get older.  But this is important.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok…” I hated seeing her so down, though.  We could all deny it all we wanted, but this little girl has made slaves of all of us.  That little face got to everyone.  Like I said, force to be reckoned with when she gets older.  God help us. </p><p> </p><p>“Here,” I let out an ear piercing whistle.  One that made Adrian squirm.  However, it was all I needed to have Cesar come running, “Why don’t you and Cesar go see what your old man is up to?  I’m sure he’s working on the house and could use a hand.”</p><p> </p><p>“We can play later, Mari,” Adrian sent her off, “It’s alright.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok!” Mari nodded, scratching Cesar’s belly, “But…You’re still my puppy, right, Uncle Alucard?”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course, Mari,” he promised, “Go on.”</p><p> </p><p>“Come on, Cesar!” Mari called for him and the two of them took off.</p><p> </p><p>Meanwhile, I had the biggest, shit eating grin on my face.  It wasn’t often I saw Adrian and Mari playing together, but when I did, it melted me to my very core.  And Mari knew all about how Uncle Alucard could turn into a big white wolf.  And as much as he hated either Uncle Trevor or me talking to him like a dog, he would never say no to Mari doing the same.  She was young and innocent.  He couldn’t be angry at her.  None of us can.  Slaves…All of us.  To that one little girl.</p><p> </p><p>“Not a fucking word to your uncle, Eden…”</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t say anything,” I bit my lip.</p><p> </p><p>“It was all over your face,” Adrian argued, “You didn’t have to.”</p><p> </p><p>“Nope,” I shook my head, “Wasn’t even thinking it.”</p><p> </p><p>But I’m lying through my teeth.  I couldn’t wait to tell Uncle Trevor about what I saw.  It’s kind of like when I tell Adrian about me having a bad night and him turning around to tell Sypha about it, “Regardless, what did you want?”</p><p> </p><p>“I have a question,” I requested, “Specifically one for you and you’re the only one in this house that can answer it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Alright,” Adrian allowed, “What is it?”</p><p> </p><p>I couldn’t resist, “Who’s a good boy, Adrian?”</p><p> </p><p>“We’ve been over this,” he rolled his eyes, “It’s me.  Eden, I can barely handle one Trevor.  I don’t need another.  It’s a good thing Mari spends so much time with me.  God forbid she develops her father’s dreadful sense of humor.”</p><p> </p><p>“I could think of worse traits of Uncle Trevor’s she could pick up.” Like the drinking, the sleight of hand, the stealing…All the things he had to develop in order to survive in this world.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re not wrong,” he agreed, “But what did you need, Eden?”</p><p> </p><p>“I want you to teach me rune magic,” I begged, “Please…”</p><p> </p><p>“What ever would you want to learn rune magic for?” Adrian scoffed, “Its practicality is almost nonexistent these days.”</p><p> </p><p>“I have my reasons,” I kept them to myself.</p><p> </p><p>However, he knew me too well.  Given our conversation last night, he’d have to be an idiot to not realize what I needed it for, “You’re wanting to make another distance mirror, aren’t you, Eden?”</p><p> </p><p>“I left mine in Styria,” I shrugged, “Can you blame me?  Please, Adrian.  Teach me.  I know you can.  I know you know rune magic and I know you know how to make a distance mirror work.”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know…” Adrian sighed out, “It’s been a while since I meddled in rune magic.  And rune magic can be incredibly touchy.”</p><p> </p><p>“Then, teach me how to do it right,” I demanded, “Please, Adrian.  I don’t have anyone else I can turn to for this.  And you know how desperate I am.  Please.”</p><p> </p><p>I could see it all over his face.  In a perfect world, I never would’ve asked.  Hell, in a perfect world, I wouldn’t ever need it in the first place.  But how imperfect this world is, “I’ll think about it.”</p><p> </p><p>I laid my head on his shoulder and wrapped myself around his arm, “Thank you.”</p><p> </p><p>“But,” Adrian stipulated, “If you’re truly serious about learning runic magic, Eden, there’s something I want you to do for me.”</p><p> </p><p>Shit…I should’ve known there’d be strings attached.  Still, it’d be worth it.  At least I hope so.  Desperation’s a bitch, “Name it.”</p><p> </p><p>“One week,” Adrian ordered, “For one week, you come to dinner at this castle every night.  You stay in this castle while I’m teaching you.  No more hiding in the woods.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve been at the estate,” I clarified, “Not in the woods.”</p><p> </p><p>“It might as well be in the woods,” he went on, “But you need to start taking better care of yourself, Eden.  Please.  We’re all incredibly worried about you.  Ever since Hector’s been gone, it’s like your spirit went with him while your body remained here.  You need to come back to us.”</p><p> </p><p>“But what if someone finds him?” I jumped on the defensive, “What if someone realizes he’s a forgemaster?  And a damn good one?  What if one of Dracula’s generals finds him and does to him what Carmilla did?  Or worse?  What if I’m not there to protect him?  What if…What if he doesn’t come home?  Adrian, I fucking hate this.  I hate not being there to protect him.  I know he said he wanted to go off on his own and I know I said I’d be fine with it, but I’m not.  I’m…I’m helpless…”</p><p> </p><p>Adrian pulled me into his lap and held me tight in the best way I needed more than anything, “Hopeless is more like it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Gee,” I grumbled, “Thanks, Adrian.  You know how to pick a girl up when she’s down.  You and Uncle Trevor should write a book together.”</p><p> </p><p>“He can fight, Eden,” he assured me, “Hector’s not completely defenseless.  Not to mention, the night creatures he forges along the way.  I’m sure they keep him safe.”</p><p> </p><p>“But Hector would also chase after a stray cat in an alleyway,” I reminded him.</p><p> </p><p>“Trevor would do the same thing,” Adrian chuckled to himself, “But he’ll be fine, Eden.  I know he will.  Take a little better care of yourself and come to dinner every night for the next week and I’ll consider teaching you runic magic.  Ok?”</p><p> </p><p>“Fine,” I curled into him a little more, holding back the tears that so desperately wanted to escape my eyes, “Thank you, Adrian.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re welcome,” he kissed the top of my head, “Why don’t you start by blowing off some steam?  I hear a few mountain lions in the distance.  I’m sure they’d be a decent challenge for you.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’d be my pleasure.” He knew me.  He understood me.  But when I got up, my head started spinning and I could hardly stand anymore.  I fell back into Adrian’s lap, “Ok…Maybe not a good idea.”</p><p> </p><p>“How about we start with a nap then?” Adrian scooped me up in his arms and teleported us to my old bedroom, “You and me.”</p><p> </p><p>“What?” I wondered, laying my head in his chest, “Mari wear you out a little?”</p><p> </p><p>“She’s constant energy, Eden,” he admitted, “Sunrise to sunset, with the exception of her afternoon nap, she’s all over the place.”</p><p> </p><p>“She’s also five, Adrian,” I giggled, “She’s going to be.  Are you going to stay here, too?”</p><p> </p><p>“And leave you in your current condition?” Adrian shifted into my beautiful white wolf.  My guardian, “Of course, I’ll stay.  Now, get some rest.”</p><p> </p><p>“I will,” I shut my eyes, losing myself in the comfort of this bed and the soft fur under my head.  So, all I have to do is take a little better care of myself for the next week in order to get runic magic lessons, huh?  I think I can do that.  At least I hope I can. </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Crutch</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Alright.  Fair warning.  This chapter is fluffy as shit…You will go aww in several places.  You will melt inside.  Even if you’re an unfeeling asshole, this will bring a slight smile to your face.  Enjoy.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Well…This was unexpected.  When I fell asleep, it was just Adrian and me.  His head still laid on my stomach, but his back legs touched his front legs.  And little Mari was snuggled up in the middle.  She really has taken quite a shine to her Uncle Alucard.  It’s always been this way, though.  Ever since Mari was born, it’s rare she leaves his side while we’re home.  While we were on the road, she’d either be on Sypha’s hip or Uncle Trevor’s hip.  Occasionally, she’d play with me.  While we’re home, though?  Adrian.  Always.</p><p> </p><p>That nap was sorely needed, though.  I will say that.  Maybe Adrian was right.  I should take better care of myself.  The last thing I needed was to get sick.  But along that same vein, I could use a good, thick vein.  As carefully as I could, I started getting out of bed.  However, the slight growl coming from the good boy at my hip smelled like opposition.  Along with the piercing glare.</p><p> </p><p>“Adrian,” I argued, “I’m hungry.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Growl…</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>“Adrian, I’m our kind of hungry.”</p><p> </p><p>He didn’t want to, but Adrian let me up from the bed.  Shortly after, he went back to sleep, making sure Mari was kept safe.  Where Mari loved Adrian, Adrian <em>adored </em>Mari.  He would do anything for her.  Much like the rest of us.  It’s always cute to see those two together.  It’s strange to think about them when I’m about to go score a snack out in the dense forest behind the castle, though.  The thought of doing in a small creature for the sake of sustaining myself or my little cousin and my brother?  Huh…Weird move, Eden’s brain.  Weird move.</p><p> </p><p>Now…I needed to get my head back in the hunt.  What am I feeling like today?  Squirrel?  Squirrel was a go-to.  Maybe I could switch it up today.  Fox?  Fox sounded good.  It’s been a while since I had fox blood.  Usually, squirrel was my favorite, but fox was always a good idea, too.  And I could hear some rustling in the leaves half a mile from the clearing.  That sounded like foxes.  A few of them.  I could glut myself and be back in time for human dinner with room left.</p><p> </p><p>Sure enough, a whole family of foxes were burrowed in the leaves at the base of one of the bigger trees.  And they’d all be buried in the next ten minutes.  Thank you, little foxes, for sustaining me for another day.  Your lives will not have been lost in vain.  For I am now absolutely content with the world.  After they were all in the ground, I started heading back to the castle.  Just outside, I heard the good, solid whack of an axe on some freshly cut cedar.</p><p> </p><p>“Hi, Uncle Trevor,” I chirped, my belly still warm.</p><p> </p><p>“Hi, Eden,” Uncle Trevor continued splitting firewood.  But then, he caught a quick glimpse of me.  And his eyes widened in slight disgust, “Just come back from a hunt, did you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” I nodded, “Why?”</p><p> </p><p>“You seem to be leaning on that more and more these days,” he pulled out a cloth from his pocket and wiped my lips.  A little habit he’s picked up since being bestowed with fatherhood, “And I thought Mari spewed out vile fluids.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry,” I giggled, “Didn’t mean to be a messy eater.  You can’t possibly tell me that, after all the shit we’ve done, a little blood makes you queasy.”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Uncle Trevor clarified, “It’s not the blood that makes me queasy.  The fact that my niece uses it as a crutch?  That doesn’t exactly sit well with me.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not that bad,” I rolled my eyes, “I need that to survive, too.”</p><p> </p><p>“Every few weeks or so.” Since I came into his life, Uncle Trevor has become an authority on dhampir anatomy.  Because having Adrian wasn’t enough of a push.  But in all honesty, I was flattered, “Not on a daily basis.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s a vice, Uncle Trevor,” I made myself comfortable on a flat stump, “It’s no different than when you getting blackout drunk.”</p><p> </p><p>“I haven’t been proper drunk since Mari was born,” he argued, “Don’t try and pull that shit with me.  That does sound nice, though.  Once we finish the house, how about you and I properly christen it?  Leave Sypha and Mari at the castle?”</p><p> </p><p>“That does sound like a good idea,” I agreed, “But you’ve come a long way since the old days, Uncle Trevor.  And I’m proud of you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, Eden…” If I didn’t know any better, I think I just saw the once rare smile of Trevor Belmont.  I’ll take it, “But I think I’ve earned a night off.  And there aren’t many in this world I genuinely like to drink with.  You, however, are in a class all your own.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not sure if I should be proud of that or not,” I giggled, “But my last name is Belmont…”</p><p> </p><p>“The family curse,” Uncle Trevor laughed with me.  But then, his tone shifted.  Uh-oh.  Why did I have a bad feeling?  Something tells me I’m about to be taken over someone’s knee, “Are you alright, Eden?  Honestly?”</p><p> </p><p>“Honestly?” Fuck…I knew it, “I’m alright.  As much as I can be anyway.  Why?”</p><p> </p><p>“Rumor has it,” he wondered, “You’re planning on taking a trip.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thinking about it,” I nodded, “Yeah.”</p><p> </p><p>“Where to?” Uncle Trevor split another piece of wood.</p><p> </p><p>“We’re going on a trip?” Well, well…Look who’s up from her nap.</p><p> </p><p>“Good morning, Mari,” I got down to her level.  To no surprise, she curled up in my lap.  I…Love her.</p><p> </p><p>“Where are we going, Daddy?” Mari asked.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know, darling,” Uncle Trevor smacked his axe into the ground, “That’s something you ask Eden.  Where are we going, Eden?”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know,” I filled her in, “Hopefully, I’ll be able to find out in a couple weeks.  But unfortunately, Mari, I’ll be going by myself.  If that’s alright with you.”</p><p> </p><p>“You can’t go by yourself,” Mari hugged me tight.  As tight as what her little arms were capable, “I’d miss you.  And what if you got lonely?”</p><p> </p><p>Oh…There’s something my heart didn’t need today.  What is it with little ones saying some of the sweetest shit and it hits in the worst of ways?  Before I could start bawling, I pulled myself together, “I shouldn’t be gone all that long.  I’ll be back before you know it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Are you going to find Hector?” she asked.</p><p> </p><p>Fuck, kid…You need to learn to develop a filter, “You know, I’m amazed you even remember Hector.”</p><p> </p><p>“I do!” Mari nodded vigorously.  She was barely three when Hector left, “But I heard you and Uncle Alucard talking about your trip.”</p><p> </p><p>“And you’re going alone?” Uncle Trevor asked.</p><p> </p><p>“That was the plan,” I confirmed, “And Adrian’s going to show me how to get there.  God willing.  In the next couple weeks.”</p><p> </p><p>“Like a map?” Mari figured.</p><p> </p><p>“Kind of.” More like a mirror, but whatever makes her happy, “It’s more like a magical map.”</p><p> </p><p>“That sounds so neat!” she beamed, “I want to see the magical map, too, Eden!”</p><p> </p><p>“We have to make it first,” I melted inside, cuddling her in my lap, “Then, you can see the magical map.”</p><p> </p><p>“Can you show me how to do it?”</p><p> </p><p>“Eden’s magic and Mama’s magic are two different monsters, Mari,” Uncle Trevor stepped in before Mari could get her hopes up, “No offense, Eden.”</p><p> </p><p>“None taken,” I knew what he meant.  It wasn’t that he was calling me a monster.  Although…In the last few years, I’ve come to like that monster.  The one that lurks deep within me.  The one my father put in me.  Well…In half of me.  Instead of fearing it, things got so much easier when I started embracing it.  All the monster needed was a little bit of love.  Although, I remember the first time Mari saw that monster.</p><p> </p><p>When Mari was maybe three, it was around the time Hector left.  She had known about Uncle Alucard being a dhampir.  She understood that.  But at the time, she thought it was just him.  That he was the only one that could be a dhampir because of what happened with Dr. Tepes and Dracula all those years ago.  Never in a million years did she think she could share blood with a dhampir.  It was one of those nights where my hunger got the better of me.  It’s not like I’d ever feed on a human.  God, no.  That wasn’t the case.  However, we were out on the road.  And a herd of deer came running through.  Mari had woken up and wandered out of the wagon.  Only to find me standing over a fresh kill and blood dripping from my chin.</p><p> </p><p>Mari started asking a lot of questions after that.  How I was a dhampir.  If I was bitten and the venom stopped halfway through.  If it hurt her Auntie Maria to have me (likely no different than any other childbirth, but I wasn’t going to give her that talk so young). If she was going to grow up to be like Adrian and me.  For a while, she wouldn’t even go near me.  That was a hard four months.  But then, she realized that at the end of the day, I was still me.  I was no different than her Uncle Alucard.  But that didn’t make her any less scared.  It wasn’t until I had sat her down and let her ask all the questions she wanted.  Anything to make her not afraid of me.  Hell, it got to a point where Uncle Trevor let her sleep with the Morningstar under her pillow at night, just to make her feel safe.  And that was truly the moment where another generation of Belmonts was born.</p><p> </p><p>“Mari,” Uncle Trevor snapped me out of my flashback, “Do you know where Uncle Alucard is right now?”</p><p> </p><p>“Is he still asleep?” I figured.  It wouldn’t shock me.  Mari was truly a constant ball of energy.</p><p> </p><p>“Nope,” she shook her head, “He’s in the study.”</p><p> </p><p>“Good,” I got up from the stump and started heading toward the castle.</p><p> </p><p>“Hold on, Eden,” Uncle Trevor stopped me, “Mari, why don’t you go find Mama and help her find dinner?”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok, Daddy!” Mari ran off to the castle in search of Sypha.  She loved going through the woods with her mother.  She called it their adventure.  Oh, Mari.  You’re so damn cute.</p><p> </p><p>“Why’d you stop me, Uncle Trevor?” I wondered, getting a little nervous.</p><p> </p><p>“Because,” Uncle Trevor picked up his axe, “You’re coming with me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Where are we going?” I had an uneasy feeling deep in the pit of my stomach.  I wasn’t sure if that was the fox blood not agreeing with me or if it was something else.  Either way, he had me nervous.</p><p> </p><p>“Clearing,” he spoke flatly.  Yeah…I don’t know about this.</p><p> </p><p>“You know,” I backed off, “I think I should go help Sypha, too.  Don’t get me wrong.  Mari’s a good little helper when she wants to be, but she’d also chase after a butterfly in the woods.  You never know with…”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Uncle Trevor stood his ground, “Sypha is more than capable of taking care of Mari and dinner.  You and me.  To the clearing.  Right now.”</p><p> </p><p>“What are we going to be doing?” I worried, knowing better than to shoot him down at this point.  He seems pissed.  What the fuck did I do?</p><p> </p><p>“You’ll see when we get there,” he assured me, “It’s something you could use so desperately right about now.”</p><p> </p><p>“But,” I followed him toward the woods, “I just had a couple foxes, Uncle Trevor.  I appreciate you looking out for my wellbeing, but I think…”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not taking you for a hunt, Eden.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok…” Tough customer.  But I still couldn’t help but wonder.  What the fuck would Uncle Trevor be taking me out to the clearing for?  The last time we were out here was when we started sparring before Carmilla’s attack on Braila.  Even after that, we’d occasionally come out here just to blow off some steam.  But…No.  He knows better than to fight me.  I think.  I’d hope so anyway.  But then again, this is also the man that, much like myself, comes from a long line of professional dumbasses that have their moments where they’re much more brawn than brain.  But we’re not going to come out here to fight…Right? </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Us</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello, lovelies.  This week’s chapter gets a tad on the violent side.  I mean, it’s going to.  Welcome to Castlevania.  And…It’s going to get a little sad and then, it’s going to get very sweet.  So, that’s always fun.  Hang in there, kids.  Love you x</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>Thwappp!</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>I flew at least fifty feet away from Uncle Trevor with a guaranteed broken rib.  The Morningstar wouldn’t have much effect on the average human, but given that I’m a bit above average?  To say that hurt like a mother fucker would be a gross understatement.  Between getting hit with the Morningstar and the impact with the ground, I hurt.  And I hurt like hell.  Thank Christ for my monster healing ability.</p><p> </p><p>“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Uncle Trevor stood over my still, sore body.</p><p> </p><p>“I could ask you the same thing,” I choked out, “What the fuck, Uncle Trevor?  You realize that hurts me worse than you’d think, right?”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s why I was gentle,” he assured me, “Again, what the fuck do you think you’re doing, Eden?”</p><p> </p><p>“Casting a healing spell on my ribs and spine?” I told him, feeling the bones fuse back together.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s not what I meant,” Uncle Trevor was not fucking around with me today, “Are you alright?  Are you all healed up?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” I got up from the ground with everything back in place, “I should be ok.  It’s a good thing I have accelerated healing.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank God for that,” he agreed, “But you’re sure you’re ok, Eden?”</p><p> </p><p>“Positive.”</p><p> </p><p>“Good.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Thwapp!</em>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>Uncle Trevor whipped me again, chasing after my flight pattern.  He caught me before I could hit the ground.  I let out a heavy sigh of relief, “Thank you.”</p><p> </p><p>Then, the asshole dropped me!  And I started another healing spell.  But before I could, Uncle Trevor grabbed me by my collar, “I’ll ask you again.  What the fuck do you think you’re doing, Eden?”</p><p> </p><p>“Wondering why the hell my uncle insists on kicking my ass,” I winced, “What did I do?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not what you’ve done,” he growled, “It’s what you plan on doing!”</p><p> </p><p>“Is this about me going after Hector?” I assumed, working on my likely broken bones.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course, it is!” Uncle Trevor snapped, “You know as well as I do how big of a suicide mission that is for you!”</p><p> </p><p>“Only if I fail.” I understood the risks.  That didn’t mean they were enough to scare me off.</p><p> </p><p>“Eden…” Uncle Trevor was ready to beat me with the Morningstar again, “Someone needs to knock some sense into you.  Do you know what would happen if someone were to sniff you out?  If, say, for example, some psychotic clergy were to find out about you?  About what you are?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not like I’ve never dealt with the torches and pitchforks before, Uncle Trevor.”</p><p> </p><p>“But you know it’d be worse than that,” he went on, “With simple townsfolk, yes.  You’d be chased out of town with torches and pitchforks.  But do you know what would happen if someone from the church were to find you?  They’d take you, Eden.  You’d be brought to the town square and burned alive.  Never mind your heroics in Braila or anywhere else we’ve been in the last five years.  You’re a dhampir.  You’re a Belmont.  And the cherry on top, you’re looking for your necromancer boyfriend.  That’s not even including your ability to perform magic.  So, let’s tally up the charges.  Dhampir, Belmont, consorting with a forgemaster, and witchcraft.  I’d be surprised if they even brought you to the town square.  They’d probably burn you where you stood!  I’ll be damned if I let that happen.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll be fine,” I defended myself, “If they don’t see my teeth they would never know.”</p><p> </p><p>“The odds of you keeping your mouth shut are nonexistent,” Uncle Trevor held me tight, “I know you too well.  I can’t lose you, Eden.  Not when there’s something I can do about it.”</p><p> </p><p>“But…” his words twisted me up inside.  And I fell limp into his shoulder, “I have to try, right…?  I can’t do this anymore.  I’ve been waiting for Hector to come home for the last two years.  I just…I can’t do this anymore.  Why won’t he just come home, Uncle Trevor?  Why won’t Hector come home?”</p><p> </p><p>I didn’t have intentions of crying today.  Whether it was from the physical pain or the emotional pain, I may never know.  But the catharsis was nice.</p><p> </p><p>“Eden…” Uncle Trevor tried.  God bless him, he tried.  But he was never good at this kind of shit.  And I knew it.  I’ve come to terms with that.  I did long ago.  But right now, I just needed to cry this shit out, “There’s no way I could possibly change your mind, is there?  You’re going to do this whether I let you or not, aren’t you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Uh-huh…” I wept, “I’m not leaving him alone anymore.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well…” he decided, “If you’re going…I mean…It’s been a while since we’ve been on the road.  And Mari has a great-grandfather she’s never met.  I suppose we could go find Sypha’s caravan.  That wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.  All on the way to finding Hector, of course.”</p><p> </p><p>“Uncle Trevor,” I melted inside.  He may be shit at giving a pep talk and better at giving a lecture, but sometimes, he sells himself short, “You don’t have to do that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course, I don’t,” Uncle Trevor cradled me, “But you know that’s not going to stop us.  Painful stubbornness runs in the Belmont family like a fucking river after a rainstorm, Eden.  You know that as well as I do.  And…I don’t know much about your biological father, but I have a feeling there’s something in a vampire that just amplifies natural stubbornness anyway.  And that’s how we have you.  I don’t know about you, but you have always been a pain in my ass.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s what I’m good at,” I shrugged, “And all the stories I’ve heard about Godbrand from various people, I think he was incredibly stubborn, too.”</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t have a snowball’s chance in hell, kid,” he teased me.</p><p> </p><p>“Says the asshole that just threw me up in the air with the fucking Morningstar with reckless abandon!” I whined, “Look, I know I needed some sense knocked into me, but was that really necessary?”</p><p> </p><p>“Beyond necessary,” Uncle Trevor chuckled to himself, “Someone’s needed to knock you around for a while now.  Did it put anything into perspective?”</p><p> </p><p>“Kind of…” It made me realize I had people at home who cared about me the same way I care about Hector coming back.  And if I leave, I’d just be putting them in the same position.  But letting Uncle Trevor know he taught me a life lesson would be giving him permission to walk around with a smug sense of accomplishment.  And God knows I can’t give him that.</p><p> </p><p>“Good,” he kissed the top of my head, “Come on.  We should start heading back.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re right,” I agreed, getting up from his lap, “I’m fucking starving.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hold on,” Uncle Trevor froze, “You’re actually joining us for dinner for a change?”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t make a big deal out of it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Eden,” he pointed out, “You haven’t had dinner with us in months.  You can’t blame me for making a big deal out of it.”</p><p> </p><p>“But you could not make a big deal out of it,” I hoped, “That’d be a good thing for you to not do.”</p><p> </p><p>“What made you change your mind?” Uncle Trevor wondered, pulling back some brush.</p><p> </p><p>“Adrian did, actually,” I told him, letting out a little yelp.  I don’t want to say I cut his work time in half, but…Damn, the dhampir powers can come in handy when I have better control over them.</p><p> </p><p>“Show off,” he grumbled to himself, “But really?  All Alucard had to do was ask you nicely and you’re back in the family?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not necessarily that.” I don’t know if he knew it, but fuck, Uncle Trevor’s words could be biting sometimes, “You can expect me for the rest of the week, too.  He said he wouldn’t teach me runic magic unless I took better care of myself for the next week.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ah!” Uncle Trevor nodded, “I see what it is now.”</p><p> </p><p>“What?”</p><p> </p><p>“He’s bribing you.  Clever son of a bitch…Wish I would’ve thought of that.  But…You know…I have a conscience.”</p><p> </p><p>“Bullshit, you do,” I giggled, “You just beat my ass sideways for the sake of shaking something loose in my head.  You call that your moral compass pointing north?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, Eden,” Uncle Trevor shook his head, “Some days, you sound just like your mother.  It’s almost frightening.  It’s like she’s still here.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re exhausting,” I sighed out, “I hope you know that.”</p><p> </p><p>“But you still love me somehow.”</p><p> </p><p>“Somehow,” I admitted, “Yeah.  You’re not half bad.  In certain situations…And in small doses.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yep,” he threw an arm around my shoulders, “You’re just like your mother.  She would’ve been the same level of stubborn you are.  Possibly even worse.  I’ll pray for you, Eden.”</p><p> </p><p>“Shut up,” I rolled my eyes, giving him a shove, “You’re lucky we’re family.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, we are.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m going to head to the family estate,” I told him, “I should be by the castle tonight.”</p><p> </p><p>“Alright,” Uncle Trevor let me go, “And Eden?”</p><p> </p><p>“What?” I stopped in my tracks.</p><p> </p><p>“There’s only one brick left to put in the house,” he smirked a bit, “What do you say we properly welcome the house back to Belmont lands tonight?”</p><p> </p><p>“Just you and me?” I figured.</p><p> </p><p>“Just like we talked about,” Uncle Trevor promised, “You, me, a good bottle of booze we steal from Alucard’s wine cellar while Sypha and Mari are sleeping here?”</p><p> </p><p>“Because Sypha can’t stand your drunk snoring,” I awed.</p><p> </p><p>“She can barely handle my sober snoring,” he laughed, “But yeah.  What do you say?”</p><p> </p><p>It had been a while since I’ve had a good drink, too.  I’ve either been working on the house with Uncle Trevor or helping out with Mari.  I haven’t had the time, “Yeah.  I’m in.  I’ll see you tonight.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok,” Uncle Trevor hugged me one last time, “Don’t you ever fucking scare me like that again, Eden.  If you’re struggling again, you say something.  Got it?”</p><p> </p><p>“Got it,” I knew he meant well, but admitting I’m struggling isn’t exactly the easiest thing to do.  That’s the family stubbornness in me.  Both sides.  As much as I hate to admit it, Uncle Trevor was right.  I don’t have a snowball’s chance in hell.  But maybe one day, that stubbornness will pay off.  Probably not tomorrow, but some day. </p><p> </p><p>Regardless, I knew what I had to do.  For the sake of bringing Hector home.  No matter how badly I didn’t want to.  I went back to the family estate and straight to the bathroom.  It had been ages since I last had a proper bath.  One that wasn’t just me jumping into the river for a quick swim in the morning.  Besides, my body could stand the hot water.  Especially after the thorough ass beating Uncle Trevor gave me.  He caught me off guard.  It’s the only way he could’ve ever won.  But I digress.  I threw in a few vials of lavender oil into the bathtub and made myself a cup of rosehip tea.  I’m sure that’ll help, too.</p><p> </p><p>The second I slipped into that water, though…My whole body went into shock.  Goddamn…This was nice.  Suddenly, my mind was back in Carmilla’s castle in Styria.  My first night there, I had a bath like this.  One that, after a whole month on my feet, day in and day out with hardly a break, was sorely needed.  One that put my aching body at ease.  How long have I been like this?  How long have my muscles been this tight?  How long have I been in this kind of pain without realizing it?  And why was I living like this?</p><p> </p><p>Regardless, I dried my hair and put something relatively decent on.  I didn’t usually make it a habit to get dressed for dinner, but I’m sure this falls into Adrian’s standards of me taking care of myself.  I braided my hair back and took one last look into the mirror.  Dammit…Adrian was right.  And…Well…If I dare say so myself, I’m cute as hell.  Especially when I can pass for human.  But then, for a brief moment, my eyes switched colors.  There you are, Eden.  There’s that dhampir in me.  I’m still in there.  But now, you need to take care of the human half of you.  And feed that half, instead of starving it out like you have been.</p><p> </p><p>I walked over to the castle with the skirt of my dress falling over my bare feet.  I forgot what it was like to feel this good.  It’s been so long.  But still, I glanced down the road, hoping I wouldn’t have to go into Adrian’s castle alone.  Alas, no Hector.  As much as I wanted him to be there, he wasn’t.  Soon, my love.  Soon, you’ll be back home again.  I just need to get through this week and continue to take better care of myself.  Then, I’m sure I’ll be able to craft a distance mirror and find you. </p><p> </p><p>I do this for us…</p><p> </p><p>I took one last deep breath and walked through the front door.  I don’t know why this had me so nervous.  Maybe because I haven’t done this in a while.  I never realized how long it had been until Uncle Trevor said something about it.  However, I forgot how wonderful Adrian’s cooking smelled.  Between Adrian and Sypha, they were a pair in a kitchen that I never wanted to come between.  Not that I had to.  If I tried hard enough, I could probably hold my own with them, but for the most part, I couldn’t hold a candle.  They were incredible.  And I was always impressed.  Particularly when a good beef roast sat on the table.</p><p> </p><p>“Holy shit, Eden,” Adrian gasped, “You <em>are </em>serious about this, aren’t you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t,” I begged, “Please don’t make a big deal out of this.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not,” he took my hand, spinning me on my toe, “It’s nice to see you again.  Especially in my dining room.”</p><p> </p><p>“What can I say?” I shrugged him off, “It’s a small price to pay, considering what’s waiting for me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Eden!  Eden!  Eden!” Mari ran to me, jumping into my arms.  How could I ever be mad about that?  I couldn’t.  It’s impossible.</p><p> </p><p>“Hi, Mari,” I hugged her tight, “I just saw you a little while ago.  What’s got you so excited?”</p><p> </p><p>“I get to see you again!” I fucking love this child.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s nice to have you here, Eden,” Sypha came out with a dish full of roasted potatoes.  And my god, does that look fucking delightful, “What’s the occasion?”</p><p> </p><p>“Adrian asked me nicely.” Or more appropriately, he bribed me with runic magic, so I could take off and find Hector.</p><p> </p><p>“You should ask her nicely more often, Alucard,” Sypha teased, “We missed you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Things were almost too quiet around here,” Uncle Trevor sat at the table.</p><p> </p><p>“Shut up, Uncle Trevor,” I giggled, rolling my eyes at him, “I’m here, aren’t I?  Didn’t you want to thank Adrian for that?”</p><p> </p><p>“Excuse me?” Adrian perked up, “What was that, Belmont?  You actually wanted to thank me for something?”</p><p> </p><p>“Do you see what you’ve done, Eden?” Uncle Trevor glared a hole through me, “You gave him hope.”</p><p> </p><p>No.  I threw you to the wolves in hopes of getting the heat off me.  But of course, heaven forbid Adrian left him alone about it, “No, no, no.  Don’t go blaming this on Eden.  Did you or did you not want to thank me for bringing her back here?”</p><p> </p><p>“You didn’t bring her back here,” Uncle Trevor argued, “I did.  I think what happened in the clearing helped knock something loose in her head.”</p><p> </p><p>“Because it wasn’t me offering to teach her runic magic?” Adrian figured, “No.  I’m sure it’s you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Boys…” Sypha hushed them, “Play nice.  Please.”</p><p> </p><p>“Fine,” Adrian sat down, well aware that he was the one that brought me here. </p><p> </p><p>But of course, Uncle Trevor was too damn proud to ever admit it.  And yet again, the Belmont family stubbornness strikes again, “Sypha…”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, Trevor?” Sypha finally got to sit down.</p><p> </p><p>“How do you feel about us going back on the road?” he asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Why?” she started to get excited.  Oh, yeah.  She missed this, too, “Did you hear something?  Night hordes causing unrest?  Rogue vampires?  Is it the demon goats again?”</p><p> </p><p>“They pooped fire!” Eden chimed, just as excitable as her mother.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, they did, sweetheart,” Uncle Trevor held his face in his hands, no doubt regretting his choice in bedtime stories for his daughter, “No, it’s not that.  It’s just…It’d be nice to have a change of scenery again.  And I’m sure your grandfather would love to see you again.”</p><p> </p><p>“I have no doubt,” Sypha agreed, “He has no idea I was ever even pregnant.  I’m sure Mari will come as a bit of a surprise.”</p><p> </p><p>“Especially when he realizes she looks just like me,” Uncle Trevor winced, “That might make things a little uncomfortable.”</p><p> </p><p>“I could’ve told you no, Trevor,” Sypha assured him, “But I didn’t.  And now, we have Mari.  I’m not complaining.”</p><p> </p><p>“Neither am I,” he admitted, “But I’m just saying…”</p><p> </p><p>I don’t know why I ever thought I’d be going this adventure alone.  I should’ve known back then.  Because of them, I’d never have to go anything alone ever again.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Hustle</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello, lovelies.  Of all the downtime chapters we could possibly want, this one…This one is some 10/10 downtime.  Eden’s been through the wringer.  Trevor’s been working his ass off.  These two need a night.  Just one.  And I think this is the night.  So, enjoy…I don’t know if I can call this fluff.  There’s nothing really fluffy about it.  Except for the beginning, but enjoy the familial bonding Eden hardly got after her mom died with the father figure she never had.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Now that the Belmont family has reclaimed the land and finished the house, it was time.  We needed to celebrate.  However, there’s no way the only two naturally born Belmonts of age (Mari’s still a little young to join us) were allowed to go out without opposition.  Not when the family reputation holds true in both of us.  But it is understandable.  Sypha worries about us.  It’s not a bad thing to care.  And no matter how unruly Uncle Trevor got when he drank, she still loved him.  And no one could blame her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Promise me, Trevor Belmont,” Sypha stuck her finger in his chest, “You’ll stay there.  Say it.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We will,” Uncle Trevor pulled her into his arms, “We’ll be fine, Sypha.  I promise.  Eden and I are going to the pub for one drink, then be back at the estate until morning.  Ok?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Ok,” Sypha knew that if shit went down, we were more than capable of handling it.  Even if it meant getting violent…Especially if it meant getting violent, “Please be careful.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I will,” Uncle Trevor kissed her forehead, “I’ll see you in the morning.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You better…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Daddy…?” Uh-oh.  There was something we were hoping to avoid.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Mari…” Uncle Trevor sat her on his hip, “We put you to bed two hours ago.  What are you doing up?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Are you leaving?” her tired eyes started welling up.  Not good.  Mari and a tantrum are a scary combination.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Just for a little while,” Uncle Trevor promised, “But I’ll be back in the morning.  Now, go on.  Back to bed.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Ok,” Mari slid down her father’s leg and took her mother’s hand.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Be careful,” Sypha demanded, “Both of you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We will,” I swore, “Well, Uncle Trevor…Shall we?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oh, god, yes.” I think someone could use a drink.  And it’s not just me.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sypha went to go tuck Mari back into bed while I scoured the countryside with my uncle in search of a watering hole.  At this point, everything and anything would do.  Lucky for us, a little roadside pub called out to both of us like a siren.  Hello, you beautiful fucker.  Please provide us with that delectable nectar of the gods.  We don’t ask for much.  Just a cold drink to help us get through the night.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The second we walked in, Uncle Trevor’s face lit up.  And I couldn’t blame him, “My god, Eden.  It’s like coming home.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I know what you mean,” I swooned, “Should we get one of everything?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No,” he put his foot down, “I told Sypha we’d only have one here.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Fine.” I’m proud of how far he’s come.  Even from when I first met him.  He always told me he’d never be able to do the responsible adult thing.  Bullshit.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve been in a proper pub, Eden?” Uncle Trevor flagged down the bartender.  Yet he hadn’t lost the muscle, “Two tankards of ale please.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It has been a while,” I smiled a bit, “We met in a bar.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Two of them,” he threw down some coin on the bar and handed me the other stein, “And what a lovely memory that meeting was, don’t you think?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Of course,” I giggled, “I pulled a knife on you.  You pulled the Morningstar on me.  How else does one greet long lost family?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m not sure.” The two of us grabbed a table near the burning fireplace.  After everything we’ve been through together…We couldn’t turn each other away if we wanted to.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Thanks for doing this, Uncle Trevor,” I rested my head on his shoulder, “I needed to get out of my head for a while.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It was an excuse to go out for a drink, Eden,” he finished his one drink off.  And a certain sadness fell over his face.  Aww…Poor guy.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Sure,” I teased him, “You’ve gone soft.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Eden…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Admit it, Uncle Trevor,” I pushed him some more, “You’re soft for me.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m not soft,” Uncle Trevor grumbled, “Only for you…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“And Sypha and Mari,” I knew better.  He couldn’t hide that shit from me.  I saw it every day with my own two eyes.  Uncle Trevor is nothing if not a big pile of goo for both of them.  And…Well…For me, too.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“They’re different, though,” he clarified, “I’m soft for you in a much different way.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Didn’t you just beat the shit out of me, Uncle Trevor?” I remembered.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“How else do we show love in this family?” If I didn’t know any better, I’d think I saw the man smile, <br/>“You needed to have some sense knocked into you.  In this case, it was literal.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Aren’t we a pair…” I sighed out, giggling a bit to myself.  Thank you, Mama.  Thank you for putting me in his direction.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oi!” a man came barreling through the front door, “Did you hear?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What is it, Jim?” the bartender brushed him off, “Another one of your ridiculous stories about someone fucking your horse again?  We all know it’s you.  Just admit it, so we can all move on with our lives.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oh, I missed this,” Uncle Trevor leaned over to me, “Just you wait, Eden.  It’s truly something to watch.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s not that!” he squealed, “Someone’s been building.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Someone’s always building something ‘round here,” the bartender brushed him off, “Good for them.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“They’re not just building, though!  They’re building on the old Belmont lands!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Both Uncle Trevor and I exchanged nervous glances.  And without missing a beat, the two of us slinked down in our chairs, making sure to hide our faces, “Shit…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Ha!” the bartender laughed, “Good luck with that.  You couldn’t pay me to even touch the Belmont lands.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“They’re probably cursed,” another man at the bar figured, “I couldn’t blame you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s torched by morning,” the bartender poured another glass, “The last house was.  Here, Jim.  Sit down and take a load off for a bit.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Bless you…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Does anyone else know about the Belmont land being taken?” the bartender asked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Not sure.  Looks like someone’s been building on it for a while.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Uncle Trevor,” I demanded, “Look away.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Why?” Uncle Trevor looked at me strange.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Just…Do it,” I begged, “It’s easier to hide my shame when you’re not watching.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“O…k…?” he still wasn’t following me, but he obliged, sliding our steins toward me.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I pulled my neckline down a little more and bunched the bottom of my dress up.  If that didn’t take me back.  Oh, the old days when I had to sell my body for my next meal.  Not a proud moment in Eden’s history, but it’s what she had to do in those days.  Besides, I knew how assholes like these guys worked.  If a pretty girl shows a little bit of skin, they’re more likely to give me exactly what I want.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Excuse me,” I softened my voice a little, “Can I get some more ale please?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Sure, sweetheart,” the bartender took our steins from me.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“So,” I played with a stray lock of my hair, suppressing the sheer rage from this asshole thinking he could call me sweetheart.  Happy place, Eden.  We’ve been through this before, “What’s this I hear about the Belmont lands?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“The Belmonts,” the guy at the end of the bar grumbled, “The Belmonts couldn’t lick the bottoms of my boots after a day in the barn.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Really?” I wouldn’t go near your boots anyway, you prick.  And I’m sure my uncle over there would say the same thing.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“They’re nothing but monsters and black magicians,” the bartender agreed, giving me our ale.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“But,” I wondered, “I thought they fought monsters.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Would surprise me if they kept a few on a leash,” Jim scoffed, knocking his glass on the bar.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hold on,” the bartender asked, “You’re not an apologist for the Belmont family, are you?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No,” I shook my head, staying on task, “It’s just a simple curiosity.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The bartender held his skepticism, “What’s your name?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Eden Mihai,” I didn’t even miss a beat.  Something tells me if I said my name was Belmont, they’d tear me limb from limb and roast me in the town square.  I didn’t have that kind of energy in me today.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Mihai…” he thought, “Never heard of you.  Where are you from?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Saxony,” I lied smoothly, “My husband and I are just blowing through town and could stand a drink.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Oh,” the bartender let it go.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“If you’re from Saxony,” Jim wondered, “How do you even know about the Belmonts in the first place?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shit…No.  I had this, too, “My brother lives in the area.  He’s told me all kinds of stories about the Belmont family.  From a certain standpoint, they’re absolutely fascinating.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“They’re pretty much wiped out these days,” the bartender explained, “They’re nothing but a legend now.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“So, about the lands,” I asked, “Why would they burn it if someone’s building on it again?  Since they’re wiped out, it’s not like there are Belmonts building on it again.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“The Belmonts deserve no place in Wallachia,” the man at the end of the bar finished his drink, “And I’m starting to wonder why you’re getting so curious.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Alright, Eden,” Uncle Trevor came up behind me, “We should probably go.  Especially if we’re wanting to get to…where…we’re going…Right?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Oh, Uncle Trevor…I thought you would’ve come up with something better.  Anything better than that.  I’m not mad, but I’m somewhat disappointed, “I suppose you’re right.  It was a pleasure, gentlemen.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Uncle Trevor and I walked out of the bar without any confrontation (thankfully…) and started heading home.  Things were quiet.  I don’t like when things are this quiet.  Especially with Uncle Trevor.  When he starts to seethe, that never ends pretty for anyone.  And since I’m the only other one here, I don’t need him taking that out on me.  That means my teeth coming out and that’s the <em>last </em>thing we need.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Unbelievable,” he grumbled to himself, “Un…fucking…believable.  Still.  I take out <em>fucking Dracula himself</em>! And the family is still a fucking disgrace.  We’ve done nothing wrong, Eden.  We’ve proved the church is corrupt.  We’ve been cleaning up the night hordes.  And we’re <em>still </em>the bottom of the fucking barrel!  I know we’re not in this for the glory, but it’s for the sake of keeping Wallachia safe.  But fuck, it’d be nice if they’d let up just a little.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“They’d rather bury their heads in the sand than go face the truth,” I figured, “You and I both know how powerful the church is, Uncle Trevor.  I know it’s bullshit, but like you said.  As long as Wallachia is taken care of, that’s all that matters.  But you’re right.  It would be nice if they’d back off.  Just a little.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Can I ask you something, Eden?” Uncle Trevor grabbed the front door for me.  Home sweet home.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Sure,” I nodded, “What is it?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Where did the Mihai name come from?” he asked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Back when my mother was still alive,” I remembered, “We had to hide the Belmont name a lot, too.  Word spread about the family and of course, if we said we were Belmonts, we’d be persecuted for it.  It’s bad enough she had a dhampir baby.  We didn’t need to throw being Belmonts on top of that, too.  So, she gave us the name Mihai.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“And…” he grabbed a bottle of wine from the kitchen.  Although, I had a feeling that bottle was stolen from the cellar in the castle next door, “Since when are we married?  I understand we’re ex-communicated from the church, Eden, but I think that’s one of those things we’d definitely be going to Hell for.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Shut up,” I rolled my eyes, “Like I’d want to come between you and Sypha.  The morons at the bar would be more likely to answer a married woman honestly.  Because they wouldn’t have to lie in order to impress me.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You know, Eden,” Uncle Trevor popped the cork on the wine and took a good drink from it before passing it off to me, “You’re a master of mental manipulation.  Did you know that?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yeah…” I winced, “It’s not something I’m exactly proud of, but…I’ve had to do some things I’m not very proud of.  That was one of them.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s amazing…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Really?” I wondered, taking a heavy drink from that wine, “I thought you would’ve done everything but take me over your knee for something like that.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No,” he shook his head, “A skill like that can definitely come in handy.  That’s yet another part of our family’s curse, Eden.  We’ve all done shit we’re not proud of, but it’s what we had to do in order to make our way in the world.  But that kind of mental manipulation could be just what we need in order to turn the tide for the family.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“At this point,” I admitted, passing the bottle back, “It wouldn’t even be manipulation.  It’s just getting someone to believe the truth.  If we can do that, we’re golden.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You’re not wrong, kid,” he agreed, “If we can get the right someone to believe us…To believe we’re not evil…That may be enough to restore the Belmont family to its former glory.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s still pretty great,” I smiled a bit, “Wouldn’t you say?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I kind of have to,” Uncle Trevor shrugged, “The last of it is right here.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Shall we continue in our efforts to get absolutely trashed?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Couldn’t have said it better myself.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Curse</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello, friends!  *waves*</p><p>How are we?  Doing well?  Yeah?  No?  Well, let’s look on the bright side.  We have a little morning fluff with the end of the Belmont family and adjacent.  And some good news by the end.  Isn’t that neat?  That’s pretty neat.  Now, if you’ll excuse me, I got other work to get done today.  Love you! x</p><p> </p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Don’t get me wrong.  I never had a problem throwing back a few with Uncle Trevor at the end of the day.  Not a problem.  But holy fuck…I felt like absolute garbage.  A few squirrels and a fox and I should probably be ok.  But maybe Uncle Trevor was right.  Maybe I am using blood as a crutch.  Still, it did always put me back on the straight and narrow.  Then again, a quick healing spell and I’d at least be able to function enough to hunt.</p><p> </p><p>When I started walking out, I caught Uncle Trevor sleeping like a baby on the floor in front of the fireplace.  Isn’t he adorable?  With the drool hanging off his chin and his arm three-quarters of the way down his pants.  Now, I’m starting to understand why the penis section in the library was a thing.  It’s not going to fall off.  Chances are, you’re probably going to wake up hurting, too.  I wouldn’t leave you like that, Uncle Trevor.  I’m not that big of an asshole.  I used a quick healing spell on him before he could wake up.  He didn’t need that.  Now, I know where I had to be.</p><p> </p><p>I walked next door and let Uncle Trevor sleep off what I couldn’t take care of.  Something smelled absolutely lovely.  I needed that lovely smell in my belly.  Without another thought, I dragged my feet through the castle and into the kitchen.  Adrian stood at the stove with his back toward me.  And I flopped down onto the tabletop.  Just because I healed myself a little bit doesn’t mean I’m totally there yet.</p><p> </p><p>“Good morning, Eden,” Adrian greeted me without even stopping. </p><p> </p><p>“Good morning,” I grumbled into the wood, “Breakfast…Please…I’m so fucking hungry.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hungover is more like it,” he figured.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not in the mood, Adrian,” I turned my heavy, aching head, “Please…I’m dying here.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll make you breakfast,” Adrian pulled my hair out of my face and tied it back for me, planting a soft kiss on my forehead.  Bless him, “Was I this bad when I came to you?”</p><p> </p><p>“You were worse,” I wasn’t going to let him have that.  Not when the family’s pride was at stake, “You can’t hold your liquor nearly as well as what I can.”</p><p> </p><p>“Now, you’re starting to sound like your uncle,” he went back to cooking.  I smelled brioche in the oven.  I want some of that, “Whenever Trevor and I would drink together, he’d always tell me how much better he could hold his liquor.  Then, if I remember correctly, he’d be throwing up moments later.”</p><p> </p><p>“Was this before or after you and I reconnected?” I asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Before.” That brioche came out of the oven…And I started drooling.  I needed that in my belly right now, “Not too long before, though.  Drinking with Trevor is rarely ever dull.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re not wrong,” I chuckled to myself.  But then, the assholes from the bar last night got into my head.  How they talked down about the Belmont lands…and the family they rightfully belonged to, “Hey…Adrian?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, Eden?” Adrian cut off a piece from the brioche and put it in front of me.  Oh, God fucking bless…</p><p> </p><p>“Can I ask you a question?” I mumbled through that sweet, magical brioche.  Damn, Adrian knows how to bake.  I’m thinking that was something Dr. Tepes taught him.  I needed more of that.  Something to soak up the poison in my stomach.</p><p> </p><p>“Of course,” he allowed, “What is it?  Is everything alright?”</p><p> </p><p>“Do you think…” I dropped it, “Never mind.  You might not be the person to ask this.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s alright, Eden,” Adrian wiped his hands off and took the empty seat next to me, “What’s troubling you?”</p><p> </p><p>“I never said anything was troubling me.”</p><p> </p><p>“You never have to,” he pulled me into his shoulder, “It’s usually all over your face.  You both hide and can’t hide your emotions very well.  I don’t understand it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Fine,” I sighed out, “Do you think…Is the Belmont family really cursed?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, God, yes,” Adrian nodded, “What gave that away?”</p><p> </p><p>“Wow,” I grumbled, “Thanks for the support.”</p><p> </p><p>“And I hate to tell you, Eden,” he added, “But you’re more so cursed than the rest.”</p><p> </p><p>“Why do you say that?” I was started to feel less comforted and more insulted.  Which is weird.  Adrian never was one to insult me.  Uncle Trevor?  All day.  Every day.  At least once.  But me?  I thought I was different.</p><p> </p><p>“Eden, you have to know,” Adrian pointed out, “You’re not only a Belmont, but you’re a dhampir Belmont.  That’s even more of a curse.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s true,” I agreed, “But that doesn’t mean you just throw me to the wolves like that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hold on,” he settled me, “Because cursed isn’t all the Belmont family is.”</p><p> </p><p>“Are you sure about that?” I shot him a quick glare, “I thought we were the shit heel of the world.”</p><p> </p><p>“I told you they weren’t just cursed,” Adrian explained, “Because they’re also stupidly brave…Oddly heroic, whether Trevor wants to admit it or not.  Did he ever tell you the story about how he met Sypha?”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” I shook my head, “I thought that was just a weird happenstance and all of a sudden, Uncle Trevor had a nanny that he happened to get pregnant and have Mari.”</p><p> </p><p>“It was actually a strange happenstance,” he remembered, “Sypha had heard stories about the sleeping soldier under Gresit.”</p><p> </p><p>“That was you,” I remembered that much.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, it was,” Adrian confirmed, “So, with that curiosity, she went down to my crypt.  Unfortunately, she got caught by the cyclops down there and her body turned to stone.  And your uncle went down there to check up on that.  Which led to him taking out a cyclops in order to bring her back.  Not only did he bring her back from a living death, but he also brought her back to her grandfather.  So, their relationship isn’t completely Sypha saving him from himself.”</p><p> </p><p>“That might have been the nicest thing you’ve ever said about Uncle Trevor,” I teased, “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you two were finally becoming friends.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s pushing it,” he smiled a bit, “But what he did, albeit incredibly stupid, was also incredibly heroic.  He saved her life, so she stuck around.  Despite you being allegedly cursed, the whole family does their best to make the best of that curse.  It’s not like there’s anything that can be done about it, so why bother?  Why do you ask if the Belmont family is cursed?”</p><p> </p><p>“People at the bar were talking about the Belmont family last night,” I told him, “They were talking about someone building on the Belmont lands and how cursed they were and how nothing good ever came out of the Belmont family.  You know.  The same bullshit rhetoric they’ve been saying for years now.  And they said there’d be a chance of the house being burned down again because of it being so cursed…”</p><p> </p><p>“No, no, no,” Adrian put an arm around me, “Everything’s going to be fine, Eden.  I know it will.  As long as the church doesn’t find out that it’s being built on by the last of the Belmont line, I’m sure they’ll leave you alone.”</p><p> </p><p>“We can only hope.” God, I hope the church doesn’t find us.  I know they knew about Uncle Trevor being around, but hopefully, they’ll think he’s left Wallachia and drifted into obscurity.  And they don’t know a thing about me.  Or I hope not.  I doubt it anyway. </p><p> </p><p>“Good morning, all!” Thank Jesus, a voice of reason.  A sweet, lovable voice of reason.  One who’s easily excitable, so maybe talking about the church wanting to burn our land again wouldn’t be the best idea.</p><p> </p><p>“Morning, Sypha,” I finished up my brioche.  I want another piece…Adrian can bake like nobody’s business. </p><p> </p><p>“Where’s your uncle?” Sypha asked, “I would’ve thought he’d come in with you.”</p><p> </p><p>“He’s still asleep,” I promised, “Don’t worry, Sypha.  He’s alright.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m guessing he’s still at the estate,” she took the seat across from me.</p><p> </p><p>“Yep.”</p><p> </p><p>“No doubt, scaring the birds away,” Adrian figured.</p><p> </p><p>“Alucard,” Sypha scolded him, “Play nice.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry,” he stopped himself, “It’s a habit.”</p><p> </p><p>He needed to have a balance in his life.  Sypha just missed out on the part where Adrian was paying Uncle Trevor a compliment.  Even if I tell someone about it, I’d doubt they’d believe me.  Oh, well.  It was better to live in that moment anyway.  But Sypha started thinking, “I wonder if Trevor wants us to leave today.”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” I could answer that one for him, “Not until I learn runic magic.”</p><p> </p><p>“I already told you,” Adrian reminded me, “I told you that you needed to take care of yourself first.  And I don’t know about you, but I don’t think getting absolutely shitfaced with your uncle is taking care of yourself.”</p><p> </p><p>“I needed that night, Adrian,” I whined, “I know waking up hungover isn’t exactly the best, but I needed a night to blow off some steam.  Last night was fun.  For the most part.  Except for the one part that I wouldn’t call fun.  But once we were good and drunk, things were…Well, kind of fuzzy, but I know they were fun.”</p><p> </p><p>“Good morning.” Speaking of Uncle Trevor, he came into the kitchen with a weird spring in his step.  He threw an arm around Sypha and gave her a quick kiss.</p><p> </p><p>“Good morning,” Sypha blinked a few times, “Um…You’re in…Oddly high spirits, Trevor.  Especially considering you were pretty drunk from what I understand.  Don’t get me wrong.  I know your tolerance is…absolutely fascinating…And it’ll probably be studied for generations to come.  But…How are you so ok?”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t understand it either,” Uncle Trevor sat down, “I woke up like last night never happened.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re welcome,” I took another piece of brioche, “I used a healing spell on you before I left this morning, Uncle Trevor.  You shouldn’t wake up in your own private hell because we had a little fun last night.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, Eden,” he awed, “That was…kind of sweet of you.”</p><p> </p><p>“What can I say?” I caught Adrian doing something out of the corner of my eye.  But I couldn’t quite tell what, “I’m nothing if not a fucking peach.”</p><p> </p><p>“Did someone not think to do the same on herself?” Uncle Trevor wondered.</p><p> </p><p>“I did,” I admitted, “But that’s how I’m able to function now.  I wasn’t at a hundred percent, so the spell didn’t take as well with me as what it did with you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Here, Eden,” Adrian slid a goblet across the table.  And a sweet, familiar scent caught my nose, “I’m sure if you drink this, you’ll feel better.”</p><p> </p><p>I took another sniff at my glass and damn near swooned right then and there, “Yummy…Is this squirrel?”</p><p> </p><p>“Rabbit,” he corrected me, “Go on, Eden.  Drink all of that.”</p><p> </p><p>“I will.” It’s not like he had to tell me twice,</p><p> </p><p>“Not for nothing, Eden,” Uncle Trevor’s face scrunched up, “But…Could you…Maybe not…Right here?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry I actually need this,” I growled, taking a good, heavy drink, making sure I didn’t get any on my face.  Just to make him feel all better.  And it all went straight to my belly.  Mmm…Breakfast…</p><p> </p><p>“Far be it for me to judge,” he dropped it, “When you need it anyway…”</p><p> </p><p>That little jab was unappreciated, but once my goblet was empty, I heard the shuffle of a tiny pair of feet from down the hall.  Oh, yeah.  The blood is hitting me quite nicely.  That shuffling ended up in a ball on my lap.  And I couldn’t help myself.  I cradled Mari in my arms, letting her use my shoulder as a pillow, “Good morning, sunshine.”</p><p> </p><p>“Mmm…” Mari groaned.  If I didn’t know any better, I’d think I passed her father’s misery onto her.  But I knew better than that.  I couldn’t do that.  Oh, Mari…You’re so sweet.  Alright, sweetheart.  Go ahead.  Go back to sleep.</p><p> </p><p>“Eden…” Adrian turned to me, his face unmoved.</p><p> </p><p>“What?” I worried.  It’s not often Adrian gets that way.  Not with me anyway.</p><p> </p><p>Then, a little smile crept across his face, “I want you to meet me in the library.”</p><p> </p><p>“The library?” I perked up, “Really?”</p><p> </p><p>“After breakfast,” Adrian demanded, “You’re going to need a full stomach and a nonexistent hangover for what I have planned.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hold on,” I started getting a little more excited, “Is today the day?”</p><p> </p><p>“We’ll see,” he reiterated, “After breakfast, Eden.”</p><p> </p><p>“But Adrian…” my heart stopped, “You said…”</p><p> </p><p>“I said, we’ll see,” Adrian stood his ground, “After breakfast, Eden.  After breakfast.  Now, eat something.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok.”</p><p> </p><p>Today’s the day.  He’s going to teach me runic magic…He’s actually going to teach me runic magic!  It’s about damn time.  I couldn’t wait.  I inhaled the rest of my breakfast and bolted for the library.  Today’s the day!  Or so I hope!</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Teach</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi, friends!  So, before we get into this, I have a feeling it may come up, but just so we’re all on the same page…</p>
<p>Eden’s definitely a Belmont through and through.  That’s not a doubt in anyone’s mind.  But she’s also got Viking blood in her veins (much like myself!), courtesy of Godbrand.  Therefore, all the runes mentioned in this week’s chapter are completely and one hundred percent based on Norse mythology.  Learning Norse runes is a fun rabbit hole to go down if you’re looking for a way to kill an afternoon.  Ok, let’s get going, yeah?</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p>
<p>A girl could get lost in a library this big.  All of these books…It’s not bigger than the Belmont library, but it came pretty damn close.  However, the Belmont library was complied by generations of Belmonts.  These were all books Mr. Tepes kept over the years.  I’m sure Dr. Tepes kept her journals in here, too.  Still, for this massive collection to be the work of just one person was nothing short of incredible.  I didn’t get to see him much when I was a kid, but what little I remember of him, I miss him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Adrian,” I took a good look around, still in just as much awe as I was the first time I saw it, “Not for nothing, but your father had a lot of free time on his hands.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“He lived an incredibly long life,” Adrian pointed out, running his fingers down the book spines, “And he wrote everything down.  Albeit absolutely psychotic by the end of his life, my father was brilliant.  In this room lives centuries of knowledge long forgotten five times over.  And humans have the audacity to call it witchcraft.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Between this library and ours,” I pulled up a chair, “Could you imagine how much more advanced Wallachia could be if the church would loosen their stranglehold on the people?  If everyone was a bit more open minded to the possibilities of what we’re capable of?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Humanity is too stubborn, Eden,” he sighed out, “It’d be lovely to live in a world where that kind of knowledge is celebrated instead of persecuted.  Where you and I could walk the world freely without fear of being burned alive.  But alas, here we are.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Here we are,” I repeated, sharing in his plight, “Why are we here, Adrian?  I love going through your father’s book collection as much as the next, but what are we looking for?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Eden,” he draped his arm around my shoulders, “I’ve made my decision.  And I’m going to teach you runic magic.  Under certain conditions.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I know,” I nodded, “If I stay here while you teach me, so you can keep a closer eye on me and continue to take care of myself.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“And,” Adrian put his foot down, “If you actually listen to me.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I do listen to you,” I scoffed, “What do you mean?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Eden,” Adrian sat down, “You fail to remember the last time I taught you magic.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You mean…” I focused my energy inward, summoning my guardian to take over my body.  I perched my small, raven body on Adrian’s shoulder, “This one?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“The very same.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You were an asshole to me when you were teaching me transformation,” I remembered.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I had to be,” Adrian let me perch on his finger, “And I apologized for that.  But the last time I taught you magic, you didn’t listen to me.  I told you to stay here and not run off until we had a better grasp on your power.  Yet, what did you do?  You waited until everyone was asleep and you took off for Styria.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“And I was fine,” I changed back and sat on the table, “Trust me, Adrian.  I’ll be fine.  I don’t exactly have to try hard when it comes to magic.  It’s second nature to me.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I know,” he pulled me into his lap, “But it doesn’t hurt to be cautious.  Especially now.  That was back in the old days when our biggest problem was Carmilla and her sisters.  Now?  And now that people know the Belmont lands are being built on again?  It could be more than the torches and pitchforks.  Why do you think I slept under Gresit in the catacombs?  That’s where I was safe.  That’s where everything was ok.  They wouldn’t be able to come near me because of the security measures in place, but even if they wanted to…And I did apologize to Sypha for that since.  But you get what I mean.  We just…Need to be careful.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Fine…” I knew Adrian always worried about me.  I don’t know who was worse between Adrian and Uncle Trevor.  They’re both a tad smothery at times, but I understood where they were coming from.  If they didn’t care about me, they wouldn’t be worried. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“So,” Adrian shot me a quick glare, “When I teach you runic magic…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Don’t automatically run after Hector…” I rolled my eyes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Don’t run after Hector <em>again.</em>”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That’s right,” I giggled to myself, “The first time you taught me magic, I was running back to Hector.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“In Styria, of all places,” Adrian held me tight, “Don’t do it, Eden.  Please.  Don’t worry me like that.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I won’t,” I promised, kissing his cheek, “I’ll listen as long as you teach me.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That was my intention.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I didn’t plan on taking off as soon as you taught me,” I assured him, “Besides, I’m not traveling alone.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Trevor and Sypha?” Adrian figured.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“And Mari, too,” I confirmed, “We’re going to find Sypha’s caravan, too.  But hopefully, we’ll be able to find Hector on the way, too.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That’s nice,” he nudged me off his lap, his head hanging a bit.  If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he was disappointed.  I could almost see his wolf ears drooping in his eyes.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And I couldn’t leave him like that.  I let out a heavy sigh of exasperation, “Adrian…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Do you want to come with us when we go to look for Hector?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And up went his tail, “You want me to come with you?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’d be better to have an extra pair of hands and not need them,” I shrugged, “Besides, I have that gut feeling saying we shouldn’t leave you alone.  You’d lose your mind walking around in this big castle by yourself.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That’s when I start talking to vegetables just for the companionship,” he chuckled darkly, “It wouldn’t be much different than talking to your uncle sometimes.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Adrian…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I know,” Adrian stopped himself.  How Sypha and I put up with those two will forever baffle me.  But I wouldn’t trade either one of them for the world.  Even though their usual petty squabbles were just that, occasionally, they’d be rather entertaining, “I’ll stop.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Thank you,” I dangled my legs over the edge of the table, “So, what do we do now?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What we do now…” he got up from his chair and skimmed through a section of the library.  Only to return with a massive stack of books to drop next to me, “Here.  Start reading.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What?” I stared blankly into the abyss that awaited me.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Runic magic is mostly memorizing symbols and glyphs, Eden,” Adrian explained, “There’s not much I can really teach you.  Other than what symbols and glyphs can and can’t go together.  Certain glyphs can cancel out the others.  Some can amplify them.  It can get messy.  Like I said, one wrong stroke and it can undo everything you’ve worked so hard on.  Or the wrong set of glyphs even on the same surface can be absolutely disastrous.  You don’t want that.  So, in order to know which ones do what, you start reading.  I’ll yell for you when lunch is ready.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hold on a second,” I wondered as Adrian started heading toward the door, “You’re really not teaching me anything?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’ll start teaching you after you finish reading those books,” he continued on, “As I said, I’ll yell for you when lunch is ready.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Fine…” Fuck.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I had a big ass stack of books here.  I might as well get started.  When I grabbed the first book, I started to feel the cover.  From what I understood, some of these books weren’t exactly bound with animal skins.  I just hoped to God this wasn’t someone Mr. Tepes hated.  I shook the thought of these books being bound with human skin out of my head (or suppressed it, more likely) and kept reading.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But the history of this one person finding different runes was boring as hell.  I know I had to read through these books in order to find out what runes do what, but…Why couldn’t I hear about the affair he had with the shopkeeper after his duchess wife treated him like shit.  Or when he met a young, beautiful prostitute in Saxony that needed the money.  I’ve lived a much more colorful life than this guy did.  What was the point of knowing about this guy’s life when I just wanted to know runic magic?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Out of the corner of my eye, a dark gray blur caught my attention.  I smelled the air.  Elk cooking downstairs…Bread baking in the oven.  No, Eden.  Focus closer.  I listened to a rapid heartbeat and zeroed in on it.  A little smile stretched across my face.  Rat.  That was a rat.  Reading was ok, but a little snack couldn’t hurt, right?  I mean, rat blood was absolutely vile, but…I haven’t had any blood today.  I could stand a little bit.  But it’s rat blood, Eden…You’re better than that.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I shook off the craving and got back to reading.  Luckily, I had finished the guy’s biography and finally got into some runes.  It’s about fucking time.  Congratulations for dying peacefully in your sleep.  One would think a mortal human practicing runic magic would’ve had a better life, but dear god, I’ve read things on tavern walls that caught my attention more.  And now, I can finally start getting into runes!  Yay!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Let’s see…Raidho.  Raidho kind of looked like the letter R.  Weird.  That one’s used for movement.  I’m sure you’re a key component to making a distance mirror, Raidho.  Movement and growth.  Neat.  But that got me thinking.  Does that refer to physical growth or emotional?  If I use this to find Hector, am I going to show up twice his size and able to tear him in half?  I wouldn’t want to do that.  He’s…Let’s just say, out of the incursions I’ve had over the years, Hector knew what he was doing…Fuck, did he know what he was doing.  So eager to please, that one.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Eden?” Adrian came in, “Are you doing alright?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“For the most part,” I laid my head on my arm, “Hey, Adrian, can I ask you a question about Raidho?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Raidho?” he peeked over my shoulder, “What about it?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“If I use it to make a distance mirror,” I wondered, “What does the growth refer to?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Emotional growth,” Adrian clarified, “It’s not like you’re going to come out on the other side a giant or anything like that.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“So,” I went on, “Which glyphs would we need to make a distance mirror?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That depends on where you’re looking to go,” he explained, “You’d start with the Raidho rune.  And when you carve that rune into the mirror frame, then you place your intent.  After that, there are a selection of runes you could use.  If you wanted to go somewhere you could prosper, you’d use the Ansuz glyph.  That means prosperity and vitality.  So, not only would you do well wherever the mirror would send you, but you’d be able to survive on that prosperity.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It looks like a sad F,” I giggled.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Eden…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Tell me it doesn’t!” I squeaked, “That glyph looks like a sad F!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Anyway,” Adrian ignored my silliness, “If you were looking for, say, fertility, which, if you’re looking for Hector, that might not be such a bad one to look for.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I am not looking for babies right now, Adrian,” I settled him, “That’s not happening.  Not right now.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I know,” he backed off, “I’m not going to tell you to get pregnant, Eden.  Not now.  I’m merely suggesting that if you’re looking for Hector, Berkanan might be a good one.  It also means sustenance and growth.  Considering you’re looking for the man you love, fertility might be a good rune to use.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Alright,” I let it go.  I couldn’t even give babies a thought right now.  Mari was the closest thing I needed to kids right now.  And if Uncle Trevor found out I got pregnant, I have a feeling it’d be my first and last baby.  It’s not like he’d have much of a say in it, but he’d make it about him somehow, “What else?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“This one would be a good one, too,” Adrian pointed to what looked like the letter M, “This is Ehwaz.  Ehwaz is a symbol of trust and companionship.  If you’re looking for Hector, that would amplify your intent and zero in on him even more.  Ehwaz could definitely help with location.  However, if it were me, knowing that you’re going to take the long way around and that the distance mirror is more or less a locator, I’d suggest you use this one.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“This one,” I ran my finger over the rune, “It looks like bird tracks, Adrian.  What’s this one for?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Nobody quite knows what this one’s called,” he told me, “But if you’re going to try and help Hector in any way you can, that one casts protection from enemies.  And it’s even stronger if it’s over someone you love.  Do you love Hector, Eden?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Of course,” I felt a sad ache in my chest, “Could this really protect Hector from a distance?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Theoretically speaking,” Adrian nodded, “Now, when you go to…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I didn’t even hesitate.  I threw myself into Adrian’s chest, hugging him tight.  Tears started bubbling up in my throat.  No.  I’m not going to cry.  Even though I knew I could with Adrian, I’m not going to cry.  Not right now.  I’ll cry later, but I’m not going to cry now, “Thank you, Adrian.  You have no idea how much this means to me.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I know, Eden,” Adrian kissed my forehead, “I know you miss him.  I know you want him back.  And we’ll get him back here soon, ok?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Ok…” my voice broke.  No.  Eden.  We had this conversation.  Don’t you start fucking crying on me.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Are you hungry?” he lifted my chin to him, “You want something to eat?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Is lunch already done?” I wondered.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You have been up here for a while,” Adrian shrugged, hiding a hint of a smirk on his face, “But I wasn’t thinking about lunch.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What do you mean?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“How about…” he decided, “You and I go on a hunt?  I don’t think you’ve had any blood today and I need to find some meat for dinner.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Really?” my sadness started going away, quickly being replaced by pure, unadulterated excitement.  I always loved going on hunts with Adrian.  Because god forbid it didn’t have an element of competition to it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Why not?” Adrian allowed, “Shall I meet you in the woods?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Ok!” I jumped up from Adrian’s lap and took off.  This is your reward, Eden.  You’ve stuck to the books for the last however many hours you’ve been here.  You didn’t give in to the rat scurrying around here.  Go find yourself a fox and a few squirrels.  You earned it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Taro</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi, friends!  So, this week…This week is a special one.  Because where we left off, Eden was about to tear through the castle for a snack.  And I couldn’t be happier for her.  I could go for one, too.  Maybe not squirrel blood, but you get my point.  Ok, ready?  Let’s get going. x</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I forgot how much I’d get hyped up for hunts with Adrian.  We couldn’t keep the competition out of it.  When I was little, he’d always hunt for me anytime I’d stay here.  Then again, I was also five and hadn’t come into my instincts yet.  Even when I was with my mother, she’d hunt for something for me, too.  But now that I was all grown up, I knew exactly what to look for.  Heartbeats.  Pulses.  Smells.  Whatever I could find.  And I learned which heartbeats belonged to what.  My skills were plenty honed enough now. </p><p> </p><p>“Standard rules apply,” Adrian stipulated as the two of us stood in the clearing, “It must be wild game.  Nothing domesticated.  And nothing poisonous.”</p><p> </p><p>“And fall back if we see night creatures,” I rolled my eyes, “I know the deal, Adrian.  And the biggest game wins.”</p><p> </p><p>“Are you ready?”</p><p> </p><p>“Whenever you are,” I couldn’t wipe the dirty grin off my face if I tried.  Something about hunting with Adrian always brought out the competitive spirit in me.  And I was ready for anything that came my way.</p><p> </p><p>“Go!” Adrian ran off to another part of the woods while I stood completely still.  He’s adorable.  Doesn’t ne know that’s going to rustle something up and scare them?  I sniffed at the air, hoping for something good to come across the wind.  Mmm…I smell something.</p><p> </p><p>Bear.  That’s definitely bear.  Not too many of them, but enough to sustain me for another day.  Granted, the smaller the animal, the better the blood is, but damn, sometimes a girl wants some bear.  And I could do some bear.  I took off into the woods where that yummy smell was coming from.  Oh, this bear’s got thick veins.  I know it.  I could feel it in my heart.  But then, I caught something else…And it wasn’t bear.  It was enough to stop me dead in my tracks.</p><p> </p><p>Death.  I smelled death.  That bear must have gotten a hold of something else.  Someone traveling maybe?  Someone that didn’t know there were bears and mean ass moose in this area?  Either way, I pitied them.  That was until I got something else.  Death…And sunflowers.  Big, beautiful, bright yellow sunflowers.  And that smell only made me think of one thing and one thing only.  Because it was perfect.  And in times like these…It’s the best smell in the world.</p><p> </p><p>…Hector.</p><p> </p><p>It had to be Hector.  There’s no way it’s anything else.  It just…It has to be Hector!  I ran off to follow that smell, fighting tears in my eyes.  He’s home.  After two long years of waiting, Hector’s finally home.  I’ll finally be able to have him back in my arms again.  And that’s all that mattered.  I couldn’t wait to see his face.  I missed him so much.  A I dreaming?  Because I may never want to wake up from this one.  Please let me sleep.  As long as I can have him by my side.</p><p> </p><p>Although, when I reached the source of the smell, Hector was nowhere to be found.  My heart ached, but only for a brief moment.  The pain was quickly replaced by instinctual fear.  It wasn’t often we’d see night creatures around these parts.  However, most of the time, night creatures would take solace in the shaded woods to escape the daylight.  And the one in front of me slept hard.  Good…Because he wasn’t exactly a little guy.  You are definitely not my Hector.  That’s for damn sure.</p><p> </p><p>You know the rule, Eden.  If you see any night creatures, you fall back.  You find Adrian and you run back to the castle to figure out a strategy on how to take care of it.  Yet, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.  Something about this one felt…I don’t know…Different.  I could smell Hector on him.  If Hector is his forgemaster, then maybe you’re here with a message for me.  I know I should fall back, but I couldn’t help myself.  I moved closer to the sleeping night creature.</p><p> </p><p>It twitched.  Its cold, gray eyes glared at me.  A deep, rumbling growl escaped its throat.  No, Eden.  Keep your guard up, but don’t come off as a threat.  That’s what Hector always told me.  Some night creatures are nothing but mindless beasts.  However, some can be reasoned with.  But one would never know unless they came off as non-threatening first.  And if this particular night creature was carrying a message from Hector, I needed to know which kind of night creature this one was.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re safe,” I spoke softly.  The same way I would when I’d be the one to put Mari to bed.  Any and all weapons I had on my person found their way to a nearby rotted stump, “I’m not going to hurt you.  I swear.”</p><p> </p><p>“I heard of a little dhampir running around these woods,” a deep voice rumbled out of him to match his massive stature.</p><p> </p><p>“You talk?” I asked, making sure to stay way from his long, sharp, gnarled claws.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes…” he rolled over, uninterested in me.</p><p> </p><p>“Who do you serve?” I took one step closer.</p><p> </p><p>“Mmm…” the night creature grumbled, “I serve no one.  Not anymore.”</p><p> </p><p>“You must have a forgemaster,” I assumed. </p><p> </p><p>“Not anymore,” his eyes closed, “My forgemaster is dead.  And I am cursed to forever walk this earth.  At least until I meet whoever killed him.”</p><p> </p><p>“Then what?” I sat with him.  By the looks of it, since I had no plans in hurting him, he had no plans in hurting me.</p><p> </p><p>“Then, I’ve found my new master,” he glanced over his shoulder and over his round belly at me, “You ask many questions, little dhampir.  You’re an awfully curious one.”</p><p> </p><p>“My uncle says the same thing,” I admitted, “And my cousin’s no better than me.”</p><p> </p><p>“I cannot blame the man,” he grumbled, “Is he a dhampir as well?”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” I shook my head, “Far from it.”</p><p> </p><p>“A hunter then?”</p><p> </p><p>“You could say that.” I’m sure when I’m standing toe to toe with a night creature, saying he’s not just a hunter but a Belmont may not be a good idea.  But then, the one question I dreaded to ask came out of my mouth, “Who was your old forgemaster?”</p><p> </p><p>I kept my fingers crossed.  Please don’t say Hector.  Please don’t say Hector.  Please don’t say Hector.  The night creature sat up, towering over me.  Why did I want to hug him?  I don’t know why, but he came off very huggable, “A human man named Isaac…”</p><p> </p><p>Sweet relief crashed over me.  Good.  That means Hector’s still alive.  But then, something clicked in my head.  Isaac…I knew a forgemaster named Isaac.  Hell, I killed a forgemaster named…Uh-oh.  I wasn’t sure where this was going, but I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.  That may be hunger, but that may also be the oh, shit feeling I didn’t need today, “So, what you’re saying…Whoever killed Isaac…That’s your master now?”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s right.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hold on,” I thought it over, looking for any way out of this I could.  Because something tells me I shouldn’t bring home pets, “What if whoever killed Isaac isn’t a forgemaster?”</p><p> </p><p>“Doesn’t matter,” he clarified, “If Isaac is killed, his horde goes to the victor.”</p><p> </p><p>Oh, shit.  No.  Happy place, Eden, “Oh…”</p><p> </p><p>“What is your name, little dhampir?” the night creature asked, leaning into me.  Tell him, Eden.  He deserves to know.  And…Well…He does answer to me, doesn’t he?  Fuck it.</p><p> </p><p>“My name is Eden Belmont,” I stood my ground.  If all else fails, I do have those dhampir powers backing me up.  And I should be alright, “Of the house Belmont.  Five years ago, I stood in the southwestern thoroughfare of Braila, barely coming into my power.  But it was strong.  And powerful.  And I killed Isaac.”</p><p> </p><p>“Then,” he didn’t even flinch.  I’m not sure if that’s a good sign or not, but I’ll take it, “I now answer to you, Eden Belmont of the house Belmont.”</p><p> </p><p>“You can just call me Eden,” I backed off.  Just a little.  Just to see where we were.</p><p> </p><p>“More will find you, Eden,” he explained, “There will be more of my kind to seek you out.  Do not be afraid.  They will not harm you.  Much like I will not.  Your kindness will reward you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok,” I put my weapons back in my garters, “What about you?  Do you have a name?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s been so long,” he laid back down, “I don’t even remember what my name was in my living life.”</p><p> </p><p>“Would you be opposed to me giving you one?” I wondered, “I can’t just call you…You.”</p><p> </p><p>“I do not see the harm in it,” he allowed, “What would you like to call me?”</p><p> </p><p>“Hmm…” I looked him over for a moment or two, “Taro.  I call you Taro.”</p><p> </p><p>“Then, my name is Taro,” he rolled back over, “Do you think I could return to my slumber?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” I nodded, “But if any night hordes of…”</p><p> </p><p>“Of yours,” Taro confirmed.  It’s so strange to think about, though.  I have night hordes.  I’ve killed so many night creatures in my lifetime and now…I have some on a leash, courtesy of Isaac…?  It’s hard to think about, “What about them?”</p><p> </p><p>“Hold them back,” I ordered, “Please.  I need to wrap my head around this first before I start commanding armies of the damned.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, Mistress,” he shut his eyes, “We did not ask to be made, Eden.  We were forcibly ripped from eternal damnation to serve on Earth.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you,” I gave him a nod, “Taro?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes?”</p><p> </p><p>I couldn’t help it.  I had to.  Without another thought, I jumped onto Taro’s belly and hugged him, “Really.  Thank you.  Can I ask you one more thing before I go?”</p><p> </p><p>“I am at your command, Eden,” Taro reminded me, “Ask anything you would like to know.”</p><p> </p><p>“If you hear anything about a forgemaster named Hector,” I begged, “Please.  Tell me immediately.  I don’t live far from here.  I’m sure you’ll be able to find me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, Mistress,” Taro’s hand grabbed me and put me back down on the ground, “Let me rest.  The sunlight drains me much faster than it does you.”</p><p> </p><p>“I will,” I left him in the clearing and started heading out.  But first…I needed something to sustain me.  I haven’t eaten since breakfast and I’m fucking starving.</p><p> </p><p>I still couldn’t believe I had a night creature at my disposal.  I couldn’t’ believe I had all of Isaac’s forces!  Oh, going home is going to be interesting.  Uncle Trevor’s going to kill me.  Adrian’s going to kill me.  Hell, Sypha may kill me a little, too!  Just another something, something to put on the charges list.  Dhampir, Belmont, magic user in love with a forgemaster and in command of her own horde of night creatures.  Yep.  I’m a mess.</p><p> </p><p>I grabbed a couple squirrels, drained them dry, and gave them their proper burial before I found Adrian again.  He sat in the clearing near the castle where Uncle Trevor beat the shit out of me just a few days prior with his boot on the belly of a bear.  And a big one, too.  Damn, Adrian.  Still…I think what I found may be just a touch bigger…And then some.  I ran over to him and threw myself into his arms. </p><p> </p><p>“Hello, Eden,” Adrian hugged me tight, “You’re empty handed.  Is everything alright?  Did you get enough to eat?”</p><p> </p><p>“We need to talk,” I shivered in his embrace, “Because certain chickens are coming home to roost and I’m not sure what to do here.”</p><p> </p><p>“Eden?” he lifted my chin up to him, “What is it, bright eyes?  What happened?”</p><p> </p><p>“I…” I kept my voice down, “I have Issac’s army.”</p><p> </p><p>“You what?” Adrian gasped.</p><p> </p><p>“You heard me,” I put my foot down, “I have Isaac’s night horde.  Once I killed him, there was a transfer of power.  And I now have control of his night horde.”</p><p> </p><p>Adrian took a second to pull himself together, “How do you know you have Isaac’s night horde, Eden?”</p><p> </p><p>“I talked to one,” I winced, well aware of the spanking I could expect after this, “He was sleeping in the woods.  He said that more would seek me out.”</p><p> </p><p>“What did I tell you, Eden?” Adrian growled, “Sleeping night creatures are to be left alone.  You were supposed to come find me and we’d go back to the castle, so we could end it!”</p><p> </p><p>“I thought it was…!” I went quiet.  Why bother?  It’s not like he was going to understand, “Never mind…Come on.  Let’s go home.”</p><p> </p><p>“Eden…” he stopped me, “What did you think it was?”</p><p> </p><p>“I…” my eyes fell to my feet, “I thought it was him.  He smelled just like him, Adrian.  I thought it could’ve been him.”</p><p> </p><p>“Eden…” Adrian pulled me into his shoulder, “He will be back.  I know he will.  But he’s not going to be a night creature.  Let’s go home.  We’ll see where to go from there, ok?”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok…” I did all I could to keep myself from crying.  I knew I fucked up somehow.  How the hell was I supposed to know killing Isaac meant taking custody of his night creatures?  I needed a nap.  Or a drink.  Or probably both.  Both sounded like a good idea.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi, friends!  So, I’m just going to say this.  This chapter is definitely some angst and fluff rolled into one.  And I love it dearly.  K, love you, bye! x</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“YOU HAVE A WHAT?!” I see Uncle Trevor is taking to the news of the new additions just wonderfully.</p><p> </p><p>“Uncle Trevor…” I tried to calm him down, but I have a feeling I’d have a better chance of stopping an earthquake.</p><p> </p><p>“No,” he cut me off, “You have an army of fucking night creatures?!”</p><p> </p><p>“I do now,” I winced, “They were a parting gift from Isaac.”</p><p> </p><p>“Isaac?” Uncle Trevor looked at me strange, “Braila?  You’ve had a fucking night horde at your command since <em>Braila?</em>”</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t know I had a night horde at my command since Braila!” I argued.</p><p> </p><p>“Trevor,” Adrian stepped in for me.  Bless him, “Don’t be so hard on her.”</p><p> </p><p>“You stay out of this,” Uncle Trevor shoved his finger in Adrian’s face, “Did you know about this?”</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t know she’d end up with Isaac’s night horde,” Adrian tried calming him down, too, but I don’t think even Sypha could get him to settle down at this point.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sure you’re all fucking smiles about this,” Uncle Trevor growled.</p><p> </p><p>“But Uncle Trevor,” I stepped in before those two could go at each other’s throats, “It’s alright.  Taro listens to me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, so, now, one of them has a name?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” I stood my ground.  Something had to bring him in and dammit, it’s going to have to be me, “Taro has a name.  That I gave him.  He’s one of the bigger ones.  And he can talk.”</p><p> </p><p>“You will speak not a word of this,” Uncle Trevor snapped, “Not for at least the rest of the night.  Certainly not when we’re in public.”</p><p> </p><p>“No shit,” I rolled my eyes, “I didn’t think casually dropping mentions of my new night horde in public would’ve been so terrible.  I mean, it’s not like there aren’t fucking zealots on our asses on a regular basis.  Mine more so than yours.  What’s one more thing they could burn me alive for?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m serious, Eden!” he was ready to beat the shit out of me.  I could feel it.  So…maybe now might not be the time to sass Uncle Trevor, “I know we’re rather notorious for doing some stupid shit that miraculously works out in the end, but I’m not going to lose you because of you being so fucking reckless!  Not when there’s something I can do about it!”</p><p> </p><p>Uncle Trevor’s words usually didn’t get to me.  Usually, it took him taking me out to the clearing to get through to me.  But it’s when he starts wearing his heart on his sleeve…That’s when I turn meek, “Ok…”</p><p> </p><p>“We’ll talk about this more in the morning,” Uncle Trevor’s voice softened, “We’ll figure something out then.  Now, go to bed.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok…”</p><p> </p><p>Without another word, Adrian took my hand and brought me into my bedroom.  I could hear it from upstairs.  Sypha’s attempts to get Uncle Trevor to cool off a little.  When I crawled into bed, I stopped listening.  I didn’t need to break my heart anymore today.  I curled into the blankets and felt a cuddly puppy nuzzling at my back.  I don’t know why I’d be surprised.  He always did look out for me, didn’t he?</p><p> </p><p>“I’m alright, Adrian,” I rolled onto my back, his head resting on my belly while I pet him, “A little shaken, but Uncle Trevor’s not a delightful creature when he’s pissed.  And I can’t blame him.”</p><p> </p><p>“You didn’t know, Eden,” Adrian assured me, “You didn’t know you’d get Isaac’s night horde.  As usual, your uncle is overreacting.  He never could see the bigger picture.”</p><p> </p><p>“What bigger picture?” I wondered.</p><p> </p><p>“You have a night horde at your disposal, Eden,” he pointed out, “My father always used his as an army.  I’m sure your night horde would fight against any other night horde in your name.  We wouldn’t have to do it anymore.  We’d be able to live our days here as we see fit.”</p><p> </p><p>A little smile crept across my face, “I’m already using Taro as an informant…”</p><p> </p><p>“Let me guess,” Adrian assumed, “Hector?”</p><p> </p><p>“He said he could help me find Hector,” I remembered, “I’m sure he could.  And any night hordes that come this way, Isaac’s or otherwise, won’t come near us.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re placing a lot of trust in Taro,” he cuddled into me closer, “Are you sure you can trust him?”</p><p> </p><p>“Do I have any other choice?” I shrugged, “I know I’m not his forgemaster, but I am his master now.  What else is he going to do?”</p><p> </p><p>“You could kill him,” Adrian suggested, “I’m sure Trevor’s thinking about their mass extinction right now.”</p><p> </p><p>“And waste a valuable resource?” I gave Adrian a quick scratch on his belly, “I don’t think so.”</p><p> </p><p>“Now, you have your head on straight,” he licked my face, “Are you going to be ok here by yourself?”</p><p> </p><p>“I should be,” I nodded, giving him a gentle kiss on his snout, “I appreciate the concern, Adrian, but I’ll be alright.  I’m just going to go to sleep, if that’s ok with you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Far be it for me to stop you,” Adrian changed back, wrapping his arms around me, “I love you, Eden.  I’ll be by in the morning to make sure your uncle hasn’t done anything stupid.”</p><p> </p><p>“He knows I can hand his ass to him,” I smirked, “I’ll be fine.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s what I like to hear,” Adrian tucked me into bed and left me to sleep.</p><p> </p><p>Little did he know, I had ulterior motives for coming to bed so soon.  I had plenty in me to sustain me through the night.  Any other time I’d be fresh from over Uncle Trevor’s knee, I’d be in the woods by now.  But tonight would prove to be a tad different.  Because I knew of a little girl with a mirror under her bed.  And some new knowledge in her brain that could ease her heavy, troubled soul.  Now, which ones did Adrian say I’d need?</p><p> </p><p>Raidho for movement and to cast my intent.  Berkanan for love and fertility.  Ehwaz for trust and companionship.  The little bird track for protection over my love.  If I can’t be there to keep Hector safe, at least a spell can.  Now, all of them in a repeating pattern of importance.  And now…I command anyone listening…Show me, mirror.  Show me where he is.  Show me that Hector is still alive.  Show me he’s ok.  Show me where he could possibly be.</p><p> </p><p>Then, an image started forming in the glass.  Somewhere lush and green.  Meaning, that’s somewhere near the water.  Just what kind of water.  Is it swamp?  Is it open fields?  Is it a town?  Is it even in Wallachia?  Hector and I had a rule.  If he was going to go off on this journey alone, he does not leave Wallachia.  So, it had to be somewhere in Wallachia.  Southern borders, maybe?  Where else would it be?  It’s not like it’d be anywhere in the north. </p><p> </p><p>“Eden…?” a soft, mousy voice called from the hallway.  Immediately, I hid my mirror under my bed.  This didn’t need to get back to Adrian.  I had enough of the bitching tonight.  We’ll just keep that a little secret for now.</p><p> </p><p>“Mari…” I let her in.  Her eyes were bloodshot.  And her wobbly legs weren’t helping matters, “Come here, sweetheart.  What’s the matter?”</p><p> </p><p>“I had a bad dream…” Poor kid…It made me wonder, though.  Given the shit this little girl has seen, what could she possibly have nightmares about?</p><p> </p><p>“It’s alright,” I pulled her into my lap, “Why did you come here?  Not that I’m turning you away.  Just wondering.”</p><p> </p><p>“Mama and Daddy are sleeping,” Mari curled into my shoulder, ‘Uncle Alucard’s all the way at the castle.  And there are night creatures out there.  But you still had candles lit in here.”</p><p> </p><p>It’s hard to believe that despite everything she’s seen, despite the way she’s grown up, Mari’s still just a baby.  She still gets scared.  And I couldn’t blame her.  I remember being afraid of my own power at her age.  But still, the girl needed a confidence boost.  We couldn’t do that until we figure out what the problem was, “You want to tell me about your nightmare?”</p><p> </p><p>“There were so many of them, Eden,” Mari’s voice broke, “So many night creatures…They came in waves and I couldn’t stop them.”</p><p> </p><p>“You will, in time,” I promised her, “I wasn’t fighting night creatures when I was your age quite yet.”</p><p> </p><p>“You weren’t?”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” I held back a smile, remembering the days when my mother and I would travel more than we’d stay in one place, “My mother would fight them.  And no matter how scared I got, I always knew she’d be able to fight them for both of us until I was strong enough to take them on.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s Auntie Maria,” she assumed, “Isn’t it?”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s right,” I squeezed her a little tighter, “She was something else, Mari.  I wish you would’ve gotten to meet her.  That would’ve meant your daddy seeing her again.  And I’m sure that would’ve been…Just wonderful.”</p><p> </p><p>“What about your daddy?” Here we go.  It wasn’t often Mari would ask questions about my checkered past, but when she did, they were always some heavy hitters. </p><p> </p><p>“My daddy died before I got the chance to meet him,” I explained.  Never would I ever hold this child’s curious mind against her.  How is she supposed to know about the prick Godbrand was?  She doesn’t ever need to know what he’s done outside of making me, “But if I would’ve met him, chances are, I wouldn’t have had to…Never mind.  You know, Mari, you don’t have to be afraid of all night creatures.”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t?” she cuddled into me.</p><p> </p><p>“No,” I gave the bed a pat, watching a little ball of flesh, fur, and exposed bone hop up on the bed, “Some are our friends.  Like Cesar.  Cesar’s a night creature.  In a way.  Hector’s the one to give him life.  And now, he lives here with us.  That’s not so bad, is it?”</p><p> </p><p>“I guess not,” Mari gave Cesar a few head pats, making Cesar’s tail go at lightning speeds, “But…They’re still scary, Eden.”</p><p> </p><p>Looks like this one has her father’s stubbornness.  But I think I can crack her.  Sypha managed to crack Uncle Trevor.  I’m sure I could do the same with Mari.  It’s just a matter of finding something to get through to her.  And I knew just the thing, “You used to think I was scary, Mari.  But look at you now.  If you still thought I was scary, would you be in my bed?  Would you be in a room alone with me?  Would you be in my lap, knowing how I sustained myself?  Knowing that I go into the woods at any given time of the day and drink the blood of any small creature I can find?”</p><p> </p><p>“But I know you wouldn’t hurt me,” she laid her head in my shoulder, “Because you love me and keep me safe just like Mama and Daddy do.  And I’m not scared of Uncle Alucard either.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know you’re not,” I bounced her on my knee, “Because you’re my big, brave girl, aren’t you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah!” Mari let out a little squeal.</p><p> </p><p>“Shh…” I quieted her down, “There are still other people sleeping in here, Mari.  We have to be quiet.  You can’t be screaming in here.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok…” she barely spoke above a whisper, “But if you screamed, they’d probably wake up more, right?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, Mari,” I snuggled her, “If I screamed, I’d level the house.  We don’t need that.  We just finished it.  You want to stay in here tonight?”</p><p> </p><p>“Is that ok?” Mari’s big brown eyes sparkled against the flickering candles.  Not quite like mine (the other half made sure of it), but as far as anyone else was concerned, her eyes were just like mine.  And that’s as far as anyone needed to know. </p><p> </p><p>“Of course, it is,” I promised, “I’m not going to kick you out.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok,” Mari nestled down in my bed, making herself comfortable, “Eden…?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, baby?” I pulled the blankets over her.</p><p> </p><p>“Can I have a bedtime story?” How does anyone ever say no to that?  Clearly, it’s someone that’s never met Mari.  This girl could convince a man covered in oil to strike a match for her.</p><p> </p><p>“Sure, Mari,” I would never say no to her.  I couldn’t.  And fortunately for her, I knew just the story, “This is the story of a princess…”</p><p> </p><p>“Really, Eden?” Mari groaned, “That’s where you’re going with it?”</p><p> </p><p>“Who took out an entire coven of vampires,” I went on.  That caught her attention, “The princess wasn’t always a princess.  She was once a mere drifter, moving from place to place, looking for her purpose.”</p><p> </p><p>“Kind of like Mama and her people?”</p><p> </p><p>“Not quite,” I explained, “The princess wasn’t a speaker.  She was just…clinging to a trail of what her purpose may be.  Then, she came upon a river town, hoping to catch a break.  Or hoping to catch her breath.  She didn’t know at the time.  The river town was attacked by this coven of vampires.  Vampires, night creatures, the town was torn to pieces.  But the princess was too scared to even look any of them in the eye.  She sought refuge under a bridge on the outskirts of town.”</p><p> </p><p>“Even the princess was scared…?”</p><p> </p><p>“Terrified,” I nodded, “But the head of the coven found her.  The queen.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, no!” Mari hid under the blankets.  I would have, too.</p><p> </p><p>“She saw something in the princess,” I thought back, “And she decided to take the princess in as her own.  Bring her back to her castle, give her a proper coronation, the whole bit.  The vampire queen raised the princess to be just that.  Little did the queen know, that princess she brought into her home and taught all kinds of wonderful things…She was a princess of a much different kingdom.  She was a fighter.  She was powerful.  And she could tear that coven apart from the inside.”</p><p> </p><p>“So…” Mari came out of her blankets, “What did the princess do?”</p><p> </p><p>“She staked the queen in the city square of Braila,” I shrugged.</p><p> </p><p>“But she wasn’t alone,” another voice thundered from my bedroom doorway.  How long have you been standing there? “She had the help of a mighty warrior…”</p><p> </p><p>“Laying it on a little thick, Uncle Trevor,” I rolled my eyes.  And people say he doesn’t have an ego.</p><p> </p><p>“And a powerful magician,” he brushed me off, sitting on the other side of my bed, “They…”</p><p> </p><p>“And?” I wasn’t going to let him leave anyone out, “Who else?”</p><p> </p><p>“Some dog and a necromancer.”</p><p> </p><p>“Uncle Trevor!”</p><p> </p><p>“Fine!” Uncle Trevor corrected himself, “A…fearsome dhampir with knowledge long forgotten over generations and a forgemaster that captured the heart of this now disgraced princess.  And as that fight came to an end, the princess, the warrior, the mage, the dhampir, and the forgemaster would leave the city square of Braila and return to their home.  And as they settled back into their comforts, the mage would share the most wonderful of news.”</p><p> </p><p>“What was that, Daddy?” Mari moved from my side into her father’s lap.  I knew what that news was before the party even left Braila.</p><p> </p><p>“The mage would be giving the warrior a child,” Uncle Trevor hugged Mari tight, “And their family would be growing.  And that child will likely grow up to follow in the footsteps of her warrior father as he did.  I pray for any man that decides to get in her way.”</p><p> </p><p>“Because of her, her warrior father, her dhampir uncle, her magician mother, or her dhampir cousin?” I teased him a bit.  I see someone’s calmed down.</p><p> </p><p>“A mixture of all of them,” he figured, putting his sleepy daughter down on the floor, “Go back to bed, Mari.  I’ll be there shortly.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok,” Mari shuffled her feet out the door, “Good night, Eden.”</p><p> </p><p>“Good night…” Sweet kid, that one.  Now, for the true test.  To deal with her father, hoping to all things holy he doesn’t tear my heart out.  Literal, figurative, did it even matter at this point? “So…You still pissed off at me or no?”</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t be,” Uncle Trevor admitted, “It’s not like you knew you were going to inherit Isaac’s night hordes.”</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t,” I swore, “But I really do think Taro can be trusted, Uncle Trevor.  I know where he is right now.  I could take you right to him.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s not necessary,” he dropped it, “I don’t have to trust him, but I will trust you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you,” I rested my head on his shoulder.  But then, in a flash, it’s like the world aligned just perfectly in my head.  I knew where the mirror showed me.</p><p> </p><p>“Well then,” Uncle Trevor put me back to bed, “You should get some sleep.  And I should put Mari back to bed.  Is she alright?”</p><p> </p><p>“She should be,” I nodded, “I took care of it.  Nightmare got the better of her.”</p><p> </p><p>“And the bedtime story of you staking Carmilla in Braila was supposed to make her feel better?” he jabbed.</p><p> </p><p>“It worked, didn’t it?” I smiled.</p><p> </p><p>“I guess so,” Uncle Trevor started walking out, “Good night, Eden.”</p><p> </p><p>“Uncle Trevor, wait!”</p><p> </p><p>“What is it?” he stopped.</p><p> </p><p>“Echowood,” I ordered, “We leave for Echowood in the morning.”</p><p> </p><p>“Echowood?” Uncle Trevor thought it over for a moment or two, “That’s probably three days south of here.  Why would you…?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, Uncle Trevor,” I beamed.  I know he can keep a secret, “Why would I?”</p><p> </p><p>“You figured out a viewing mirror?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes.”</p><p> </p><p>“Echowood,” he confirmed, “We’ll leave for Echowood in the morning.  I’ll be sure to pass the message along.”</p><p> </p><p>“But don’t say it came from a viewing mirror,” I begged, “Please.  I don’t need Adrian pissed at me, too.  Say I had a premonition.  A strong one.”</p><p> </p><p>“Alright,” Uncle Trevor gave me a nod…and a quick kiss to the forehead, “Good night, Eden.”</p><p> </p><p>“Good night…” </p><p> </p><p>Echowood…I’ve never been to southern Wallachia.  It looks nice.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Travel</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi, friends!  How are we?  How’s the thing going?  You know…That thing you had today.  How is that?  That’s wonderful/terrible.  I’ll leave that choice up to you.  But here.  Have this.  I made it myself.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Finally.  Echowood.  We’d be leaving for Echowood in a little while.  I could hardly sleep last night, but we were finally doing it.  And I couldn’t be happier.  Hector would be in my grasp in the next couple days and I’d be able to breathe a little easier.  Not to mention, likely have my world absolutely turned on its head.  It’s been two years since Hector and I have been in near proximity.  If he thinks he’s going to leave me in need of some quality time with him, he’s sorely mistaken.  I have plans for us and they are definitely going to be some not so pretty means to a very beautiful end.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I grabbed my bag and threw it over my shoulders, taking the long way to the entryway.  Sure, I could’ve teleported, but I didn’t need to go through those kinds of lengths.  Any time I teleported, it’d scare the shit out of Mari (and depending on the context, her father, too).  But she’d end up giggling about it later.  It made for some fun games of peek-a-boo when she was a baby.  That’s for sure.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Alright, Eden,” Uncle Trevor met me at the bottom of the stairs, “Are you ready?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yep!” I nodded.  Out of everyone on this adventure, no one was more excited than me.  Obviously.  I’m going out to find the man I love and, if there’s time, get my rocks off.  What more could I want? </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Good to hear,” he applauded, “Sypha!  Are you ready yet?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Coming!” Sypha yelled back, running toward the stairs.  I know I said I was over the fucking moon to be doing this, but Sypha was going stir crazy here.  She told me she liked the idea of having a home these days, but her heart was that of a nomad.  Sypha didn’t know how to stay in one place for so long.  And I couldn’t blame her.  I was like that for a while, too.  Until I found somewhere and someone worth settling down.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Daddy,” Mari climbed onto her father’s shoulders, “Where are we going?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We’re going to Echowood,” Uncle Trevor told her, “We’ll be in the south for a while.  If that’s alright with you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“But I like our house,” she whined.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I like our house, too,” he bounced her a bit, “But we’re also going to set off on another adventure.  That has to be a little exciting, right?  We haven’t done that in a while.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“But I like our house…” Mari pouted. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Are you sure you’re your mother’s child?” Uncle Trevor teased her, “If I didn’t see you being born with my own two eyes, I’d start to doubt it.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Nope,” Sypha kissed Mari’s cheek, “She’s just as much mine as she is yours.  She may have Belmont blood in her, but you have Mama’s brains, don’t you, Mari?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yeah…” Mari had the biggest grin on her face.  I adore her.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Are you saying I’m stupid?” Uncle Trevor got on the defensive. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m not saying you’re stupid,” Sypha backtracked, “I’m merely saying that, in a battle of wits, I’d be able to bury you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Is that so?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I think.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well,” Uncle Trevor retaliated, “You were the one that decided to procreate with said stupidity, so…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That’s because nights got cold and I got bored,” Sypha argued, beating Uncle Trevor into next week, “You’re not the only one with needs, Trevor.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I know,” Uncle Trevor gave Sypha one little kiss, “You still love me, right?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Of course.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I wish I could find love like theirs.  Boy meets girl petrified in a dungeon guarded by a cyclops.  Boy kills cyclops.  Boy saves girl’s life.  Girl can’t stand him for a while, but then boy grows on her.  Boy saves girl from cyclops.  Girl saves boy from himself.  What a beautiful tale.  Instead, I got girl meets vampire bitch.  Vampire bitch holds boy captive.  Girl meets boy mostly naked, malnourished, and frozen in a dungeon in vampire bitch’s castle.  Girl makes him warm.  Girl busts his ass out.  Girl misses him terribly…Soon.  Soon enough.  We’ll be reunited, my love.  Fortunately, I knew exactly where I’d find love again.  Echowood.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What say you, Mari?” I asked, “You ready for another adventure?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I guess…” Mari’s still tired as hell.  I could see it in her eyes.  Chances are, she’s going to fall back asleep in the wagon when we’re halfway down the road and sleep like a rock.  I couldn’t blame her, though.  I’ll probably fall back asleep, too.  It’s not like I’ve had breakfast this morning.  For the other half anyway.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Please,” Adrian came outside to see us off, “Be careful.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We will,” Sypha promised him, “We always are.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s not you I’m worried about, Sypha…” Adrian shot an accusing glare at the man with the little one on his shoulders.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“The fuck is that look for?” Uncle Trevor snapped.  Looks like Mari’s not the only one sleepy and cranky.  But Uncle Trevor was the one driving, so someone was going to have to live.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Adrian,” I stopped him, “No.  He’s tired and bitchy.  Don’t do that to him.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That’s not my fault,” Adrian defended.  It’s like yelling at a brick wall.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I can take care of them, too, Alucard,” Uncle Trevor growled, “You know damn well I can.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Can you, Belmont?” Adrian wondered, “Are you sure about that?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Adrian,” I pulled him away before Uncle Trevor had the chance to behead him, “You know as well as I do.  If shit went down, Sypha and I could definitely defend ourselves <em>and </em>Mari <em>and </em>Uncle Trevor while he gets his head on straight.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“And that’s how I can sleep at night.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No,” I stuck my finger in his face, “Play nice.  Because for the times when Sypha and I aren’t as quick on our feet as we need to be, it sure as fuck doesn’t hurt to have Uncle Trevor as backup”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Thank you, Eden,” Uncle Trevor managed to crack a little smile.  Don’t get me wrong.  I love Adrian like he was my own brother.  And I have for a long time.  But sometimes, I needed to take Uncle Trevor’s side.  This was one of those times.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Fine…” But something wasn’t fine.  Something in Adrian’s demeanor seemed off.  Any other day of the week, he would’ve fought a little harder just to get one last jab in at Uncle Trevor, but today, he stood quiet.  I couldn’t put my finger on why, but he seemed so off.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well then,” Uncle Trevor settled down, “Shall we?  The sooner we can get to Echowood, the less we have to hear Eden moping around about how Hector’s not home.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Are you serious?” I scoffed, “I just defend your ass and you’re going to say that shit?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Just keeping you on your toes,” he shooed me into the wagon, “We’ll be fine, Alucard.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The two of them exchanged middle fingered pleasantries and I watched out of the corner of my eye as Adrian started dragging his feet back to the castle.  Yeah.  Something wasn’t right with him.  It’s strange.  I probably looked the same way after Hector left the…I’m so fucking stupid.  I couldn’t believe it took me so long to figure it out.  I knew exactly what was off with Adrian.  And I couldn’t let it go on.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hold on,” I piped up from the back as we were almost halfway down the road, “Uncle Trevor, we have to turn back.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“For what?” he wondered.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I…forgot something.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What did you forget?” Uncle Trevor stopped the wagon.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I forgot my brother…” I winced, hoping he’d be ok with it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Seriously?” he groaned.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hear me out,” I begged, “We shouldn’t leave Adrian alone.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“He’ll be fine, Eden,” Uncle Trevor assured me, “It’s not the first time we’ve left him alone.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“But who knows how long we’ll be gone?” I argued, “No.  We have to go back.  I have this gut feeling saying we shouldn’t leave Adrian alone.  Please, Uncle Trevor.  I don’t ever ask you for much.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I knew he wanted Adrian to tag along with us as much as he wanted a rusty nail in his ass, but Uncle Trevor let out a heavy, exasperated sigh and turned the wagon around, “You owe me, Eden.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Thank you,” I kissed his cheek, “I really do appreciate this.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m sure you do,” he rolled his eyes, pulling the horses up to the castle again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Adrian!” I yelled back to him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Eden?” Adrian perked up, “What is it?  Is everything alright?  Why’d you come back?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“You…” I mulled it over, “You wouldn’t want to…I don’t know…Come with us…Would you?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Where are we going?” he already hopped into the back of the wagon with Mari and me.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Echowood,” Uncle Trevor dreaded this.  The bitterness dripping in his voice gave that away.  But he knew as well as I did.  Having an extra pair of hands isn’t going to kill us.  Especially if they’re Adrian’s.  His power rivals mine.  We got it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Echowood?” Adrian shot me a confused glance.  And I don’t think it was because of Mari curling up in his lap.  I knew that little girl loved her parents more than anything, but Uncle Alucard’s her buddy.  There’s no doubt about it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Have you ever been to Echowood?” Sypha asked.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Once,” Adrian nodded, “While my father was traveling.  I met up with him in Echowood to reconnect, so I’d have something to tell my mother.  He did his best to keep in contact with her, but sometimes, he’d lose track of the days and I’d have to go find him.  Why are we going to Echowood?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Eden had a premonition,” Uncle Trevor chimed in, not even hesitating.  I swear, the ability to lie runs strong in the Belmont family.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“A premonition?” Yet, I’m not sure how well Adrian’s taking to it.  Shit…He’s going to know I carved out a viewing mirror, isn’t he?  No.  Eden, don’t panic.  Everything’s fine, “What kind of premonition?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I saw a marketplace I had never seen before,” I explained, “And a sign that said Echowood.  It had to be Hector.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Are you sure?” Adrian still wasn’t quite buying it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But I knew the mirror wouldn’t lie to me, “Yes.  I didn’t see Hector per se, but why else would I be shown Echowood?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Adrian looked me over, searching for any tell that might give me away.  Not me.  I was a stone wall.  I knew where my information came from.  But then, in the next breath, he backed off, “I suppose it was a premonition.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I told you,” I quietly let out a sigh of relief.  Good.  He’s off my dick.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The horses started bucking and the wagon rocked.  And everyone went up in arms.  Even Mari held her dagger a little tighter.  Uncle Trevor got the horses to settle down, “Did you hear that?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hear what?” I wondered.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I heard it, too,” Adrian nodded, “A growl from the woods.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I listened closer to the wind on the trees, finally hearing that same growl.  Mari curled into Adrian a little closer, “What was that, Uncle Alucard…?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s alright, dear,” Adrian held her tighter, doing his best to calm her down, “You’re alright.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hold on…” I hushed them, listening closer to that growl.  I knew that growl.  I jumped out of the wagon.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Eden!” Uncle Trevor snapped, “What the fuck are you doing?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Just…Trust me,” I walked closer to the woods, putting more authority in my voice.  This was a longshot, but it’s the only one we had, “Taro?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The growl moved closer as the ground shook under him, “Eden…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hi, Taro,” I smiled, feeling a strange sense of comfort wash over me.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Although, Uncle Trevor pulling the Morningstar from his belt and Sypha sparking her hands up didn’t give me the same fuzzy feeling.  However, I’m a little surprised Adrian stayed back.  He did have Mari in his lap, so it’s understandable.  Uncle Trevor jumped to my side, “Eden, get back in the…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No, no, no!” I stopped him.  I stopped them both, “It’s ok.  He’s ok…He’s a friend.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“He’s a fucking night creature, Eden!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“He’s cute and squishy!” Mari crawled out of Adrian’s arms and jumped down from the wagon, moving closer to me.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Taro,” I demanded, not nervous in the least bit, “Play nice.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Mari, get back!” Sypha ordered, not nearly as calm as I was.  But Mari knew.  Mari knew he wasn’t going to hurt her.  Instead of going back to the wagon, Mari jumped right on Taro’s belly.  It’s a good thing we had that little talk last night.  I don’t think this would’ve happened if she did, “Mari, I said, get back!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It’s ok, Mama,” Mari cuddled into Taro a little more.  She was practically a flea on his belly.  But Taro remained unmoved.  He was more confused and curious about the little girl on his belly than ravenous and destructive.  I had to admit.  This was pretty damn cute.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“It is, Sypha,” I swore, “He’s not going to hurt her.  Night creature or not, I know he won’t hurt her.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“She’s not afraid…” Adrian looked on, just as curious.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Why are you not afraid of him, Mari?” Uncle Trevor wondered, still a tight grip on the Morningstar’s handle, “He’s a big, scary night creature.  Hell, <em>I’m </em>slightly afraid of him.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Because,” Mari let out a little yawn, her arms stretched across Taro’s chest as much as they could be, “He’s like Cesar.  And I’m not scared of Cesar.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Cesar’s also much easier to handle, sweetheart,” Uncle Trevor clarified, “Cesar doesn’t have the potential to kill you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“But it was like when I was scared of Eden,” her eyes got heavier and heavier with each passing second, “I wasn’t scared of Uncle Alucard, so why should I be scared of Eden?  It’s not like Eden was going to hurt me.  I know Cesar wouldn’t hurt me, so Taro’s not going to hurt me.  Eden told him not to.  And Eden wouldn’t hurt me.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That’s right, Mari,” I promised, “I’d never do anything to put you in danger.  And Taro listens to my commands.  Isn’t that right, Taro?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That is,” Taro confirmed.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Mari mustered up as much of a hug as what she could, “I like you, Taro.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I don’t have the emotions of a human anymore,” Taro raised a hand to her, gently putting her back on the ground, “But I’m assuming that’s good.  Thank you.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Why did you come here, Taro?” I asked, “Are you here to see us off?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I’m here to warn you, Eden,” Taro explained, “There is a small faction of rogue vampires in Echowood.  I understand you’re half of one of them, but I also know about what happened with you and the last vampires you came into contact with.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Thank you,” I know he said he didn’t have human emotions anymore, but it’s nice to know his empathy is still there, “Have you heard anything on Hector?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“No,” Taro shook his head while Mari crawled back onto his belly, “I’m sorry.  But please, Eden.  Be careful.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“We will,” I promised.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“If need be,” Taro pointed out, putting Mari back down, “Some of Isaac’s horde sleeps in the swamps of Echowood.  You have full command over them.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Good to know,” I gave him an appreciative nod, “Thank you.  Come on, Mari.  It’s time to go.  This is Taro’s nighttime and he needs the rest, too.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Ok,” Mari hugged Taro’s massive tree trunk leg, “Bye, Taro.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Farewell, little one,” he made sure she was out of range and flopped over in the woods, only to fall asleep shortly after.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What the fuck was that?” Uncle Trevor was so lost.  He had the same look Cesar got when I hid bacon from him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I told you,” I reminded him, putting Mari back in the wagon, “He’s harmless to us.  Taro’s ok.  We can trust him.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Hey, Eden…” Mari cuddled back into Adrian’s lap.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“What is it, Mari?” I pushed her hair out of her face.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“I like Taro,” she shut her eyes.  Baby is all tuckered out. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Me, too,” I smiled.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“He’s…Different,” Sypha thought, “Definitely different from all the other night creatures we’ve come across.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That’s for fucking sure,” Uncle Trevor grumbled to himself, “Eden, how are we supposed to know your…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I could see it all over his face.  Uncle Trevor didn’t even want to admit it.  I didn’t understand it.  Hector had night creatures.  We had Cesar.  Is it because it’s me that it’s hitting him too close to home?  He’s going to have to get over it, “Night horde, Uncle Trevor.  How are we supposed to tell my night horde from someone else’s?”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Yeah…”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“Well,” I figured, “If they listen to me, they’re mine.  If they don’t, then feel free to kill them to your heart’s content.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>“That sounds like a hell of a plan,” Uncle Trevor wasn’t going to deal with it any more than he had to.  I knew he was pissed.  I knew seeing Taro made it all too real for him.  But this was something that was out of my hands.  And if he got to destroy some rogue night creatures in the process, who was I to squelch that joy for him?  Few things made Uncle Trevor happier than seeing the life drain from a night creature’s eyes.  Is it fucked up?  Yes.  We all know it.  But again, I wasn’t going to stop him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>However, given Taro seeing us off, I had a feeling that it was going to be a long ride to Echowood.  But I knew what was waiting for me.  That alone made this trip entirely worth it.  Soon, my love.  Very soon.  I’ll be running back into your arms.  And everything will be ok again.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Echowood</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi, friends!  So…We’re here.  We’ve made it.  Echowood village limits dead ahead.  Echowood’s going to be a fun arc.  I know I said that about everything, but trust me.  This is going to be a fun arc…K, love you, bye! x</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Echowood.  A busy little village, isn’t it?  Around every corner, someone was doing something.  Blacksmith hammering out a blade, a crier shouting tales of potential dread in the north.  But we don’t have to worry about anything coming from the north anymore.  I’m pretty sure we took care of that before Mari was born.  Anything that might be coming from the north would be someone totally different.  But I’m sure we had nothing to worry about. </p><p> </p><p>However, as I looked around a bit closer, I realized what was going on.  This busy little village was preparing for tonight.  I see we had some rogue night creatures ready to tear this place to shreds.  But under whose order?  The two major forgemasters Wallachia had to offer were Hector and Isaac.  And Isaac hasn’t been alive in five years.  I’m sure whatever it is, we’ll be able to handle it with no problem.</p><p> </p><p>“I see the night hordes have moved this way,” Adrian assumed, his hand in mine.</p><p> </p><p>“I thought night creatures were practically extinct,” I argued, “Other than a few hordes…”</p><p> </p><p>“In a perfect world,” Uncle Trevor grumbled to himself.  And I also thought we were past that, but it seems someone’s still a tad bitter.  Big fucking surprise.</p><p> </p><p>“But there are night creatures in the swamp,” I kept my voice down, making sure none of the villagers heard me.  According to Taro, those were Isaac’s night creatures…Well, my night creatures now.  They’re not going to move without my order.  At least, I hope not.</p><p> </p><p>“I’d be careful if I were you, dear,” an older woman selling her fruits caught me, “Those night creatures are nothing to be tampered with.  All of you…Stay away from the swamps.  Lest you’d rather be killed.”</p><p> </p><p>“How do you know there are night creatures in the swamps?” I wondered.</p><p> </p><p>“We know to keep scouts at the ready,” she nodded, “And when they try to attack this village, we’ll be ready.  We’ll be waiting.”</p><p> </p><p>She made me uneasy.  She seemed like the type to immediately stab me with her pitchfork if she knew what I was…What I am.  We just kept going through the thoroughfare.  My grip on Adrian’s hand got a little tighter.  Hector better be here.  That viewing mirror better not have lied to me.  I’m positive my runes were right.  My intentions were pure.  All I wanted was to have Hector back.  Was that so terrible?  But did it have to be in this swill water village in southern Wallachia?  You couldn’t have hidden out somewhere better, Hector? </p><p> </p><p>“We should probably find somewhere to stay for the night,” Sypha thought, “Anyone know where there’d be an inn?”</p><p> </p><p>“Never been to Echowood,” Uncle Trevor told her, “I might have been here when I was a kid, but I wouldn’t remember that.”</p><p> </p><p>“There’s an inn at the end of the thoroughfare,” Adrian pointed out, the sign hanging off the building.  However, the building across the way made most of us twitchy.  Except for Mari, but that’s because she didn’t know any better, “I know it’s been a while since I was last in Echowood, but I don’t remember that being there.”</p><p> </p><p>“How welcoming,” I shuddered, “Anyone want to test that church’s stability?”</p><p> </p><p>“No, thank you,” Uncle Trevor shot that down immediately.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m going to have to pass,” Sypha agreed.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t have a death wish,” Adrian shook his head.</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe there’s somewhere else?” Sypha hoped, “Anywhere else we can stay?”</p><p> </p><p>“Sypha…?” a man’s voice drifted through the air.  Harsh, gravely…When I caught a glimpse of him, he was lucky to be standing.  This man had to be in his eighties, at least.  But his eyes sparkled as they welled up with tears, “Sypha…”</p><p> </p><p>“Grandpa!” Sypha didn’t even hesitate.  She bolted toward the man and hugged him tight, “I heard there were speakers in this village, but I didn’t think you’d still be here by the time we got here!”</p><p> </p><p>“I missed you so much,” he wept, “I’m so glad you’re alright.  I’ve heard so many stories in our travels.  And I hoped that only the good ones could’ve been you.”</p><p> </p><p>“They probably were,” Sypha giggled to herself, “Oh, Grandpa, so much has happened since we last spoke.  We really do need to catch up.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’d love nothing more,” the old man looked over Sypha’s shoulder, “I see you’re still with the Bel…”</p><p> </p><p>But then, he went quiet.  I’m sure he took one look at Uncle Trevor and got nervous.  Until I realized how asinine that thought was.  I followed his eyes and realized…He wasn’t looking at Uncle Trevor.  He was looking at me.  I couldn’t understand why.  Nor could anyone else.  Sypha shot a quick glance toward me, “Grandpa?  Is something wrong?”</p><p> </p><p>The old man studied me closer, paying close attention to my face.  His eyes grew wider with every pass, “You weren’t gone that long, were you?”</p><p> </p><p>“No!” Sypha clarified, “I told you we had a lot to catch up on.  She does happen to be part of it.  However…There’s one a little more pressing you should know about…”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh?” he wondered, “And what’s that, child?”</p><p> </p><p>“Funny you say that…” Sypha grumbled under her breath.  She looked over toward Uncle Trevor, who had grown an extra pair of tiny feet behind him, and stuck her hand out, “Come here, Mari.  It’s alright.”</p><p> </p><p>Mari didn’t get much for interaction outside the family.  And I suppose she still isn’t.  It’s just family she’s never met.  Although, I’m surprised she’s still so skittish.  Especially since Sypha spent most of the trip answering every question Mari could have about the man in front of her.  Still, she seemed rather apprehensive.  Mari glanced over her shoulder at me, hoping for any sort of confirmation.  She knew that if shit went down, we’d be here to back her up.  And if someone was ok with me, they’d be ok with her.  I gave her a little nod, just to put her mind at ease.</p><p> </p><p>The man got down to Mari’s level.  An impressive feat for someone of his age, “Hello, little one…”</p><p> </p><p>“Hello…” Mari could hardly talk.  And I couldn’t blame her.  I was horribly shy at her age, too.</p><p> </p><p>“I <em>was </em>gone that long,” Sypha confessed, “Grandpa, this is Mari…She’s your great-granddaughter.”</p><p> </p><p>“My…” the old man looked at Mari the same way he looked at me not five minutes ago, no doubt finding traces of Sypha all over.  It’s not like he could’ve done that with me.  I didn’t know Sypha until almost six years ago.  But the same could be said for the only other one I was related to here.  The old man’s face lit up in a way nothing else could, “Sypha…She’s your…?”</p><p> </p><p>“She is,” Sypha nodded, taking Mari’s hand, “Yes, I’m still with the Belmont.  But now, there’s one more added to the Belmont family tree.”</p><p> </p><p>“As far as we know anyway,” Uncle Trevor jabbed, “But her eyes are brown, not gold, so…”</p><p> </p><p>“Trevor!” Sypha snapped, giving him a heavy smack to the chest.</p><p> </p><p>“Ow…!” he groaned, “That was a joke, Sypha.  And a hell of a hit.”</p><p> </p><p>“You had that one coming,” I took Sypha’s side.  Much like I did any other time those two got into it.  More often than not, it was the right decision.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you,” Sypha gave Mari a little nudge, “Go on, Mari.  Go back to your father.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok,” Mari ran back to Uncle Trevor’s side, scaling his leg and making herself comfortable on his shoulders.</p><p> </p><p>“I can see the resemblance,” the old man smiled, “It’s a shame she looks so much like you, Belmont.”</p><p> </p><p>“I said the same thing…” Because Adrian doesn’t know how to keep his mouth shut.  And without hesitation, I reeled my hand back and did to him the same thing Sypha did to Uncle Trevor.  Only mine may have had a bit more sting to it, “Ow…”</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t mean any ill intent by that,” the old man explained, “You were so beautiful when you were younger, Sypha.  It’s a shame that didn’t get passed along.”</p><p> </p><p>“I think it did,” Sypha looked over at Mari, “To a certain extent.  A lot of her face and her build is me, but the scary thing is that she has so much of Trevor, too.”</p><p> </p><p>“What’s that supposed to mean?” Uncle Trevor got defensive.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah!” Mari did, too.  Or as I like to call it, the most eloquent way Sypha could’ve proved her point, “How am I like Daddy?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, sweetheart,” Sypha pulled Mari to her hip, “Trust me.  You and your father are scary sometimes.  And one day, I hope you get only his best, but I know better.  Stubbornness is an incredibly strong river that runs through the Belmont family.”</p><p> </p><p>“No, it’s not,” Uncle Trevor rolled his eyes, “Honestly, Sypha…I’m not that stubborn.”</p><p> </p><p>“Really, Belmont?” Adrian poked at that bear, “Do you really want to go there?”</p><p> </p><p>“Nobody asked you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Boys,” I stopped them before they could go for each other’s throats again, “Not here.  We don’t need certain things coming to light here.”</p><p> </p><p>“And…” the old man asked, nodding toward me, “Who is she?”</p><p> </p><p>“This is Trevor’s niece, Eden,” Sypha introduced me, “Who, if we’re being honest, knows all too well that stubbornness that runs through the Belmont family.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s true,” I agreed, “We’re all a mess.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re a Belmont?” he gasped, “I thought Trevor was the last one.”</p><p> </p><p>“Nope,” I shook my head, “My mother escaped the raid on the ancestral home.  Ran off to Saxony.  Was violently taken by a piece of shit creature that would eventually be my father.  Then, we slowly, but surely started making our way back toward Wallachia.  And she died in Lupu.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry to hear that…” Alright.  Sypha’s grandfather is starting to grow on me.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you,” I gave him a nod, “But I’m not just a Belmont.  I’m a little more than that if you can keep a secret and not make a scene.”</p><p> </p><p>“And the other man?” he let me go.</p><p> </p><p>“I found him, Grandpa…” Sypha’s eyes sparkled in a way I had never seen before.  I’ve held her hand during childbirth.  I’ve fought by her side.  She’s taught me so much over the last few years.  But I’ve never seen her like this, “Do you remember when we were in Gresit?  And I told you I wanted to go down to the catacombs, but you said I shouldn’t?”</p><p> </p><p>“I remember,” the old man’s face fell, “You had us all so worried…”</p><p> </p><p>“But it did lead me to meeting Trevor,” Sypha tried her best to put a positive spin on it.  As she does, “And ultimately, that led me to Mari.  But before her…He was who I found in the catacombs, Grandpa.  He’s the Sleeping Soldier…”</p><p> </p><p>“Sypha,” Adrian settled her, “We’ve been over this.  I had nothing to do what happened in Gresit.  That was Trevor and you and the people of Gresit finally pulling their heads from their asses and realizing what the church had done.  I was merely in the middle of a nap when I heard you all above ground.”</p><p> </p><p>“This is Adrian Tepes,” Sypha explained, “Although, more often than not, we call him Alucard.  Except for Eden, but that’s for different reasons.”</p><p> </p><p>“Tepes…” the old man looked Adrian over, “You mean…”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” Adrian cut him off.  He knew that song and dance all too well.  Whenever someone mentioned his name, he knew where they were going to go with it.  I’d say I could relate, but the Belmont family was merely demonized, not the demon itself, “I am…”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry to hear about your mother,” the old man spoke gently, keeping Dracula out of it, “She was a lovely woman and an even better doctor.  She was a mere innocent and a victim of the church.  I understand why you wouldn’t want to stay across the thoroughfare from one.”</p><p> </p><p>And in that moment, I’d think I saw a tear in Adrian’s eye.  The old man definitely caught him off guard, “Thank you…”</p><p> </p><p>“Adrian?” I gave him a light nudge, “Are you alright?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” Adrian pulled himself together, “Yes, I’m fine.  I’m going to go find us better accommodations.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m going to go find Hector,” I decided, “Or at least try to.”</p><p> </p><p>“I want to go with Eden!” Mari chimed, “Can I, Mama?”</p><p> </p><p>“Why don’t we let Eden go find Hector on her own?” Sypha took Mari’s hand.  Likely so she didn’t run off and latch herself onto my leg, “I’m sure she misses him terribly and doesn’t need to keep an eye out for you, too.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, Sypha,” I smiled, kissing my cousin’s cheek, “Don’t worry, Mari.  When I find Hector, I’ll make sure I bring him back here to see you, ok?”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok!” That’s my girl.  So easy to turn her moods around.</p><p> </p><p>“Be careful, child,” the old man warned me, “It’s almost nightfall.  We wouldn’t want you getting caught up with night hordes.”</p><p> </p><p>“I think I got them handled,” I scoffed, “I’ve been fighting night creatures since I was thirteen and my last name is Belmont.  If that wasn’t enough, that secret thing I mentioned before?  That’s got me taken care of.”</p><p> </p><p>“If you don’t mind me asking…” I knew he would, “What is it?”</p><p> </p><p>I lifted my upper lip and showed off the sharp, shiny fangs, courtesy of Godbrand, “My mother might have been human, but my father wasn’t.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know the feeling,” Adrian chimed in, “Watch yourself, Eden.”</p><p> </p><p>“I will.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re a vampire…” See, I was starting to like this guy, but he went and made assumptions.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m a dhampir,” I clarified, “Don’t worry.  I don’t go after humans.  You’re perfectly safe.”</p><p> </p><p>“Eden,” Uncle Trevor put a hand to my shoulder, “You…Wouldn’t want to go get a drink…Would you?”</p><p> </p><p>He’s worried.  I could smell it on him.  Uncle Trevor was worried about me.  Granted, I haven’t had any blood since breakfast this morning, but I’d be fine.  Although, I don’t think it’s my blood intake that’s got him scared for me, “I’m good.  Don’t worry, Uncle Trevor.  I’ll be back before nightfall.”</p><p> </p><p>“Good luck finding Hector, Eden,” Sypha sent me off.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you.”</p><p> </p><p>“And keep your head down,” Uncle Trevor demanded, “We don’t need to be cutting you down from the stake tonight.”</p><p> </p><p>I threw my hood up on my cloak, “That was the plan.”</p><p> </p><p>And just like that, I took off to explore Echowood.  I know I saw the marketplace in the viewing mirror, but where in the hell would Hector be in the marketplace?  It’s not like there was much for residential this way.  Maybe he got a job this way?  But…Aside from his forging skills, does he really have much for that?  I don’t see him much as a type for heavy manual labor.  Then again, he’s been on his own for the last two years.  I’m sure he’s found something.  For his sake, I hope he picked up a trade.</p><p> </p><p>But the more I searched the marketplace, the less I was coming up with Hector.  I couldn’t even smell him.  Where the hell could you be hiding?  It’s exhausting.  Lucky for me, I managed to find a cozy place for a break.  As much as this would catch several people by surprise, I don’t always want to hole up in a tavern when I’m in need of comfort.  In fact, this teahouse seemed nice.  I didn’t think Echowood would be the place to have a teahouse, but I could smell pastries and I was a sucker for good scones.  Don’t get me wrong.  I loved a good ale, but when matters of the heart weigh heavy, tea is needed.  My mother’s words of wisdom.</p><p> </p><p>“What can I get for you, love?” an old woman came up from the back.</p><p> </p><p>“Chamomile, please,” I spoke softly.  If anything could put me at ease, it was hot chamomile tea.  Although, there was only one better.  I wonder…It couldn’t hurt to ask, “Do you have dandelion tea?”</p><p> </p><p>“We do,” she nodded, “Would you rather that instead?”</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe blend them together?” I asked, my fingers crossed under the table.</p><p> </p><p>“I’d be more than happy to,” she allowed, checking me over, “Are you alright?  You seem like you just came in from the war, dear.”</p><p> </p><p>“Honestly?” I vented, “It feels like it some days, but hopefully, those days are coming to their end.”</p><p> </p><p>“Tell you what,” she insisted, “Fresh batch of sweet rolls just came out of the oven.  How about one of them to liven your spirits?”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you so much.” That was awfully sweet of her.  But I bet if she knew what I was, she wouldn’t be nearly as kind.  I felt my pockets for some sort of coin, “Will a couple gold coins cover me?”</p><p> </p><p>“On the house,” she waved, bringing me my tea and my sweet roll.  Dear god, that looked fucking amazing, “What’s got you down?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m actually looking for someone,” I explained, “Have you seen a tall, good looking, silver haired man around here?  Kind of has a permanent look of a lost puppy on his face?”</p><p> </p><p>“What’s his name?” she asked, “He sounds like someone I keep in the back.  In my old age, throwing those sacks of flour and sugar wear on me more and more every day, you know.  My body can’t handle it like it used to.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s Hector,” I told her.</p><p> </p><p>“Hector, huh?” a little smile crept across her face.  No…There’s no way.  It couldn’t be that easy.  She stuck her head in the back room, “Oi!  Hector!  There’s a young lady here to see you.”</p><p> </p><p>Could it really have been that easy?</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Chapter 12</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>*smiley face*  Hi, friends.  This week is going to be a special week.  You’ll see why.  I’ll shut up.  Go on.  This is for you.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It couldn’t be that simple.  There’s no way I’m allowed something so wonderful.  There’s no way I get something handed to me like this.  Sure enough, one of the most perfect beings walked out from the back.  It’s the strangest thing.  He looked like Hector, but if Hector doubled in size.  But that face…I could never forget that face, those eyes…That jawline I’d cut myself on if I wasn’t careful.  Oh, Hector…You have no idea what’s coming to him later.  It’s been far too long since I’ve seen you and I plan to make the most of every minute.</p><p> </p><p>“Did you say someone was…?” Hector took a second glance at me.  And a little sparkle gleamed in his eye.  He let out a gentle gasp, “Eden…”</p><p> </p><p>“Surprise…” my voice broke.  Two years.  Two long years of us being apart.  It’s about fucking time we have a win.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s…” Hector reached out to me, gently putting his hand to my cheek, “It’s really you…No tricks?  No illusions?  I’m not dreaming?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m here,” I rested my hand on top of his, “I’m here…”</p><p> </p><p>“Excuse me,” Hector turned to the old woman, “Do you think we could have a moment alone please?”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course, dear,” the woman allowed, “I should probably get another batch of biscuits in the oven anyway.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you,” Hector smiled sweetly, warming me to my frozen core.  I could see it all over his face.  He was barely holding on.</p><p> </p><p>But the moment we were alone, I fell into Hector’s arms…His fucking tree trunk arms.  It felt so different, but at its core, nothing had changed.  And I cried.  I’m not ashamed to admit it, but I bawled, “I missed you, Hector.”</p><p> </p><p>“I missed you, too,” Hector held me tight.  If I were more human, I bet he would’ve broken me.  Fortunately, I’m a little more durable than the average human, “How did you find me?”</p><p> </p><p>“Adrian taught me how to cast runic magic,” I told him, reveling in the warmth of Hector’s body, “I had to beg him for it, but it was worth it.  Damn, it was worth it.”</p><p> </p><p>“And,” he thought for a moment, “You said everyone was here?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yep.”</p><p> </p><p>“Are you…” Hector kept his voice down, “Are you being careful?  All of you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course,” I swore, “If all else fails, we’ll be ok.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m well aware of that, Eden,” he nodded.  I don’t think he knew how protected I was here.  Hell, I didn’t even know until Taro told me, “Do you remember how big of a chokehold the church had on Gresit?”</p><p> </p><p>“Then, Uncle Trevor exposed them and their intentions.”</p><p> </p><p>“Echowood is worse,” Hector shuddered, “Much worse.  The whole town is ran by the church.  On the surface, everyone may seem sweet and friendly, but do not trust it, Eden.  Do not trust it for a single second.”</p><p> </p><p>“So,” I figured, “Be extra careful here.  Got it.”</p><p> </p><p>“And don’t let Trevor open his mouth too much,” he smirked, “That could lead to more disaster than we’d need.”</p><p> </p><p>“He’s gotten better.”</p><p> </p><p>“Eden…” Hector stared blankly at me.  Even I knew what I said was bullshit, “Are you sure?  If I asked Sypha or Alucard if he’s gotten better, would you put money on their answer being yes?”</p><p> </p><p>“No…”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s what I thought,” he giggled a bit.  Oh, I missed that, too.  But then, Hector got quiet…Scary quiet, “I’m serious, though, Eden.  These people are not something to blow off.  Trust me…I had to learn that the hard way.”</p><p> </p><p>“What do you mean?” I don’t like this.  Why did I have a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach?  And worse, why did I have a sudden case of bloodlust for whoever hurt my man?</p><p> </p><p>“I know you probably have a lot to tell me,” Hector took my hand, “I have a lot to tell you, too.  We need to go somewhere private, though.  Very private.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok,” I wasn’t going to get angry with him.  Chances are, it wasn’t his fault.  Then again, Hector would get trampled by horses from chasing after a bunny.  Speaking of bunnies…A bunny doesn’t sound too bad right about now.  Two birds, one stone, “Maybe somewhere in the woods…”</p><p> </p><p>“Feeling hungry, my love?”</p><p> </p><p>“Starving.” It’s so nice when he’s considerate.</p><p> </p><p>“Fine with me,” Hector allowed, “Helena?”</p><p> </p><p>“You call for me, Hector?” the old woman seemed a little too quick to answer.  Now, I understood why Hector said we needed somewhere more private than this.”</p><p> </p><p>“Do you think I could leave early today?” he asked, “It’s not often I get to see her anymore and I’d love to hear everything she’s been up to.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sure you would,” she let him go, “Go on, Hector.  You’ve done enough today.  She’s very special to you, isn’t she?”</p><p> </p><p>“Incredibly,” Hector pulled me to his chest.  Almost as if he were protecting me, “She’s the closest I’ve had to family in such a long time…She’s my everything.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hector…” I melted inside, the tears bubbling up in the back of my throat again, “That’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me.”</p><p> </p><p>“It doesn’t make it any less true,” he gently kissed the top of my head, “I’ll see you tomorrow, Helena.”</p><p> </p><p>“See you tomorrow.”</p><p> </p><p>And just like that, I left the teahouse with Hector’s hand in mine.  I couldn’t be happier.  Really, I couldn’t.  However, because Eden’s not allowed nice things without strings attached, my skepticism took over.  Just as Uncle Trevor told me when we parted ways, I made sure to keep my head down.  If this place is worse than Gresit, I couldn’t be too careful.  One look at me and I’m sure some sort of clergy would be more than happy to rain hell upon me.  And of course, because neither one of us were allowed nice things, Hector and I were stopped by a large man on the outskirts of town.</p><p> </p><p>“Afternoon, Hector,” the man greeted us, making the knot in my stomach even worse.</p><p> </p><p>“Afternoon,” Hector gave him a nod.</p><p> </p><p>“Leaving so soon?”</p><p> </p><p>“Merely taking a walk through the woods, if that’s alright,” Hector told him, “We shouldn’t be gone long.  We’ll be back by dinnertime, I’m sure.”</p><p> </p><p>“And who is we?” Keep your mouth shut, Eden.  That’s definitely a Belmont thing.  We don’t need you getting into trouble here.  And you know damn well Hector doesn’t need the stress either.</p><p> </p><p>“This is Eden,” Hector introduced me, “She’s…a friend of mine.  She’s simply passing through town with her aunt and uncle.  Eden, this is Brother Albert.  He’s one of the higher ups with the church here.”</p><p> </p><p>“Pleasure to meet you,” I gave him a slight curtsey, hoping that would pacify him. </p><p> </p><p>“Likewise, Miss Eden,” he looked me over, still incredibly mistrusting.  But I’d be lying if I said I was surprised.  Clergy never really sat well with me, “What brings you to Echowood?”</p><p> </p><p>“He does,” my grip on Hector’s hand got tighter, “I haven’t seen him in a while and I was starting to miss him.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s nice,” Brother Albert’s smile felt so fake.  I’m sure if I smiled at him, it wouldn’t be nearly as heartwarming.  Well…It would, but the only heartwarming it would be would come from the fire around me.  Pass, “Be back before dinnertime.”</p><p> </p><p>“I will,” Hector promised, “Like I said, we shouldn’t be gone too long.”</p><p> </p><p>“Be careful, Hector,” Brother Albert warned him, “There are night creatures in those woods.  If you see one, no one would stop you from killing it.”</p><p> </p><p>“I understand,” Hector took me deeper into the woods.  Somewhere we couldn’t be found.  A small, abandoned cabin sat near the river, “In there.”</p><p> </p><p>“Is this your house?” I wondered, shaking the door handle.  No.  It was too sticky for it to be Hector’s house.</p><p> </p><p>“No,” he shook his head, “This is likely the safest place in the area for us.  Oh, Eden, I have so much to tell you.  A lot has changed since we last saw each other.  Hell, since my last letter, even.”</p><p> </p><p>“I haven’t heard from you in months, Hector,” I shivered, “It’s been difficult…To say the least.”</p><p><br/>“I know, my love,” Hector cradled me in his chest, “I know.  Believe me.  I’ve been trying.  But you’ve met Brother Albert.  You saw what he’s like.”</p><p> </p><p>“Cuddly prick, isn’t he?”</p><p> </p><p>“Definitely,” he shuddered, “Eden…They found me.”</p><p> </p><p>“What do you mean, they?” I looked at him strange, “I know we left Lenore alive when we were in Braila, but…”</p><p> </p><p>“Not Lenore,” Hector cut me off, “Not Striga.  Not Morana.  Honestly, I’d rather any of them over this.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hector…” I hardly spoke above a whisper, noticing the pain in his eyes, “What happened to you?”</p><p> </p><p>“I traded one Styria for another,” his voice broke, “When I say they found me, I mean the church found me.  They searched me.  They took my medallions.  I can’t forge.  I haven’t been able to in the last few months.  I heard there were some stray night creatures here and I figured they were Isaac’s, so I thought I’d give them some semblance of order and take them over.  But they found out I was a forgemaster and dragged me back here.  But they took that away from me.  They called my knowledge impure and unclean.  But I needed to gain their trust, so I could, at the very least, get my medallions back, so I could get my ass out of here.  Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be an easy task.”</p><p> </p><p>“Because you were a forgemaster?” I assumed.</p><p> </p><p>“Because I consorted with demons and monsters,” Hector went on, his embrace tightening around me, “They gave me an ultimatum.  Either I renounce my hedonistic ways or I’m burned for witchcraft.  I lied to them and said I’d never forge again.  Of course, they weren’t going to trust my word alone.  They needed action behind it.  So, they kept my medallions.  They made sure I wouldn’t leave Echowood, so they could keep an eye on me.  And…Well…Then, there was one other thing.  Took place in that very river outside.”</p><p> </p><p>“What did they do?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well…” he winced, “It was either death or baptism.”</p><p> </p><p>“Are you serious?” I gasped, “You’re…Born again?”</p><p> </p><p>“Not by choice,” Hector grumbled, “It was either that or I’d never get to see you again, Eden.  I’m sure I choice the lesser of two evils here.  I could either die or let them attempt to drown me for a brief second.  I’ll take the latter.  I did take the latter.  You can be upset all you want.  That won’t stop it.  That won’t erase it.  I’m sure your mother had you baptized when you were a baby.”</p><p> </p><p>“Was that a joke?” I spoke flatly, “You really think a disgraced Belmont is allowed to step foot in a church, let alone have their baby baptized?  No.  My mother knew better than to trust the church.  Don’t get me wrong.  She believed in God, but she did not believe in the church.  And she raised me the same way.  She knew they twisted the rhetoric to suit their purposes and she knew God would take care of them one day.  She just didn’t know God would show in the form of her brother.  Or her daughter.”</p><p> </p><p>“Eden,” Hector’s voice softened, “I’ve been trying to get out of this town for the last three months.  It’s been fucking miserable.  Like I said, I traded one Styria for another.  Only this one at least gives me the occasional freedom of movement.  It’s the same cage, only bigger.  You saw it with your own eyes.  That’s what happens when I try to leave.  Brother Albert and I have gotten reluctantly close over the last few months.”</p><p> </p><p>“Why?”</p><p> </p><p>“The church makes sure to keep a close eye on me,” he explained, “And that includes a personal escort every Sunday.  It’s the worst.  And it’s even worse when they force me into participation.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sure God would have a problem with what His flock are up to,” I thought, “Shouldn’t that be one of those things that happen willingly from the individual?”</p><p> </p><p>“They don’t seem to care,” Hector sighed out, “It’s another irredeemable soul saved.”</p><p> </p><p>“Not yet,” I wasn’t going to allow this.  I refused to, “I swear to you, Hector.  I will get you out of here.”</p><p> </p><p>“Or…” he got quiet.  I didn’t like when Hector got quiet, “You know…Once you get past the clergy being overbearing, Echowood’s not all that bad.  And I could think of one way it could get better.”</p><p> </p><p>“And what’s that, Hector?” I asked, “By burning it to the ground and releasing the people?”</p><p> </p><p>“Or you could stay here…” They’ve poisoned him.  They had to.</p><p> </p><p>“So they can burn me at the fucking stake?” I lifted up my top lip and showed off the one thing that separated me from them (among a few other things, but we’re not splitting hairs here), “Did you forget something?  That something that makes me special from most human beings?”</p><p> </p><p>“I know,” Hector squeezed me tight, “I know.  And they’re not going to burn you at the stake, Eden.  I can promise you that.  I wouldn’t allow it.  We’d burn together and you know it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” I scoffed, “I thought that if we were both to die, at least we’d burn together.  But because those assholes out there decided to fucking baptize you, that eternity is gone.”</p><p> </p><p>“But that’s why you need to be careful,” he argued, “Eden, I don’t want to lose you.  I just got you back.  For the longest time, I didn’t think I’d ever see you again, but I knew you’d come one day.  You’d come looking for me.  Because that’s just how you are.”</p><p> </p><p>“You know…” I suppose I better tell him before he finds out the hard way, “The night creatures in these woods…They’re not all bad.”</p><p> </p><p>“Be careful who you say that around,” Hector chuckled a bit, “They take blasphemy rather serious around here.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m saying it to you, though,” I gave him a gentle kiss, “There’s something I need to tell you, too.  But we need to go outside for that.  Is that alright?”</p><p> </p><p>“Once I do a quick check to make sure we’re not being watched,” he stipulated, “Give me five minutes.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok,” I nodded.  And I stepped outside where a squirrel sat up in the tree.  Thank God, something to drink.  Before Hector could come back, I snatched that squirrel and drained it, letting the blood run down to my belly.  Oh, that was needed.  That was sorely needed.  I gave him a quick burial.  Thank you for sustaining me another day, little squirrel.</p><p> </p><p>“Alright, Eden,” Hector allowed, “What is it you wanted to show me?”</p><p> </p><p>I shut my eyes, channeling my focus inward, “I know you can hear me.  Show yourselves.”</p><p> </p><p>The rustling of the leaves put me at ease.  And if all else failed, I could tear the shit out of some night creatures.  Win-win for Eden.  Then, a couple night creatures limped out from their hiding places, making Hector sweat a bit, “Eden…Where did they come from?”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re a forgemaster, Hector,” I pointed out, “You should know exactly where night creatures come from.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know that much,” he brushed me off, “I’m talking these particular night creatures.  Did you take up forging while I was gone?”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” I shook my head, “These are Isaac’s…Well…I say they’re Isaac’s.  They’re mine now.”</p><p> </p><p>“How?”</p><p> </p><p>“Apparently,” I explained, “When I killed Isaac in Braila, his night horde became my night horde.  So, they answer to me now.”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t let anyone around here find that out,” Hector ordered, “But they’re really yours?”</p><p> </p><p>“As far as I know,” I shrugged, “I mean…If they came when I called, what other proof do we need?  Yeah, it pissed off Uncle Trevor when he found out, but he knows he can kill them if they’re not one of mine, so that settled him down.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sure it did.” Hector never really understood Uncle Trevor and Uncle Trevor was occasionally protective over me.  And since Hector’s been sniffing around me since I broke him out of Carmilla’s castle in Braila, it’s been an epic for the ages, “Eden…”</p><p> </p><p>“What?”</p><p> </p><p>“You do know you’re staying with me tonight,” he assumed, “Right?”</p><p> </p><p>“I thought that was a given,” I curled into him, getting one more kiss, “We’ll find a way out of this, Hector.  I promise.  Besides, you have to come home now.”</p><p> </p><p>“Why’s that, my love?” Hector pushed my hair out of my face.</p><p> </p><p>“The house is done.  Uncle Trevor and I put the last brick in before we left.”</p><p> </p><p>“Alright then,” he gave me a nod, “You know, I really did miss this, Eden.”</p><p> </p><p>“I did, too,” I traced my finger up his chest, “And…You know…It’s been two years since we’ve been alone together.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s right…” I felt Hector tense up under my touch.  Oh, yeah.  It wouldn’t take him much.</p><p> </p><p>“I hope you know,” I purred in his ear, “I’m going to tear you to fucking ribbons later.”</p><p> </p><p>“Um…” Hector’s cheeks turned pink, “Eden…About that…”</p><p> </p><p>“What?” I teased him a little more, “You can’t tell me you wouldn’t be able to handle it, Hector.  I’ve had you begging for mercy at my feet.  I know how you are.  I know how every inch of your body works.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not necessarily that…” he winced, “It’s just…Along with them finding out what I am and my alleged path to redemption…Something else came along with that.”</p><p> </p><p>“I swear to Christ, Hector,” I growled, “If you tell me they castrated you, I’m going to be fucking pissed.”</p><p> </p><p>“Not quite castration,” Hector promised, “But…”</p><p> </p><p>Whatever it was, I’d find out that surprise for myself.  My hand slid down toward Hector’s belt…And that’s when I felt not one belt, but two.  No…Fucking…Way.  I got quiet.  And seething.  And angry, “Hector…”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, Eden?” he winced, preparing himself for the explosion that was about to ensue.</p><p> </p><p>“Did they put you in a fucking chastity belt…?”</p><p> </p><p>“There was a mention of depriving myself of earthly pleasures…”</p><p> </p><p>I took in a deep breath, doing my best to calm down, “I’m killing them, Hector.  Violently.  I will take the fucking Morningstar and eviscerate all of them.”</p><p> </p><p>“Because they’re keeping us from our sex life?”</p><p> </p><p>“Because they’re keeping us from our sex life,” I snapped, “And I have no doubt it’s got a lock on it, doesn’t it?”</p><p> </p><p>“Unfortunately,” Hector did his best to settle my infuriated temper, “We’ll figure it out, Eden.  This is just one of those things we’ll take care of.  Until then, are you hungry?  I noticed a fresh grave outside when I came back, so I’m assuming you had a snack.”</p><p> </p><p>“I did,” I nodded, “But Uncle Trevor’s waiting for me with the rest of Sypha’s caravan.  Care to join us?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sure it’d be alright,” he assumed, “Shall we?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, please,” I got up from Hector’s lap and pulled him onto his feet, “And by the way, Hector…In case I didn’t make it clear before…”</p><p> </p><p>“What is it, Eden?”</p><p> </p><p>I jumped up and wrapped my legs around his waist, never ever wanting to let him go again, “I missed you…”</p><p> </p><p>“I missed you, too, my love,” Hector gave me one last kiss, “But we need to get some human food in your belly.  Ok?”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok…”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Communion</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I still couldn’t quite wrap my head around it.  But I didn’t need to.  I just needed to wrap my arms around it and I’d be home again.  We don’t have to say soon anymore.  He’s…He’s right here.  I could have Hector any time I wanted him…With the exception of having him in the one way I was <em>really </em>looking forward to.  Right now, I was just happy to make skin on skin contact with him.  To be able to hold his hand like this as we headed back to where Sypha’s caravan waited for us.  Granted, I still wasn’t overly thrilled about the church holding him hostage here, but we’ll get him out of here.  It won’t be much longer.  At least I hope not.  If this place is making my skin crawl, I can only imagine what it’s doing for everyone else.</p><p> </p><p>However, when I walked through the door with Hector behind me, I peeked around the corner.  Everyone sat together at a makeshift table, already putting food together.  I knew that smell.  I could smell Adrian’s cooking from miles away.  And I didn’t even need to use my heightened senses.  But it looked like our nights in the castle.  Even when Hector wasn’t with us (and before I ended up falling into my spiral), it would be nothing for the five of us to sit in the dining room of Adrian’s castle just like this.  Sometimes, it’d be the four of us after Mari was tucked into bed and the wine got popped open.  It wouldn’t be much different from this.  It’s nice to have the family together like this.</p><p> </p><p>“No, no, no,” Uncle Trevor groaned.  Oh, shit…He’s already starting, “That’s not how that happened and you know it.”</p><p> </p><p>“If it weren’t for me,” Sypha argued, “You would’ve been dead in the middle of the forest.”</p><p> </p><p>“I took care of those night creatures just as well as you did!”</p><p> </p><p>“One of them was holding you by your face, Trevor!  I had three of them down before you even took out one!”</p><p> </p><p>“Alright, alright,” I stepped in before this could get bloody, “We know, Sypha.  Yours is bigger.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, Eden!”</p><p> </p><p>“Eden!” Uncle Trevor’s mood did a turnaround, “Welcome back.”</p><p> </p><p>“I told you I’d be back before dark,” I made myself comfortable.  Yet, my shadow wouldn’t leave the doorway.  Huh…Strange.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s good…”</p><p> </p><p>“Hector!” Mari got up from her mother’s lap and attached herself to Hector’s leg.  Honestly, I understood completely where she was coming from.</p><p> </p><p>“And I told you I’d be bringing Hector back,” I smiled, melting inside at the sight in front of me.</p><p> </p><p>“No…” Hector looked down at the precious little girl at his feet only to get down to her level, “I must be dreaming.  There’s no way this big girl is Mari.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s me!” Mari’s arms went from Hector’s leg to around his neck real quick.  Before Hector left, Mari had a strange fascination with him.  If she wasn’t following Adrian around the castle while Sypha and Trevor were out tearing monster ass to shreds, she’d follow Hector and Cesar.  Or me, depending on the day.  Hector didn’t mind, though.  He might not have had the best taste for humanity in his mouth, but at the end of the day, she was just a little girl.  Not to mention, my family.  But I didn’t think she’d remember much of Hector.  Was it really my moping that kept his memory alive in her head?</p><p> </p><p>“You got so big!” Hector gushed.  It did my heart good to see those two together again.  As much as I loved having him back…and as much as I wanted several members of the clergy dead for the crimes they’ve committed…I loved seeing Mari and Hector again.  She was Hector’s reminder of just how human he is.</p><p> </p><p>“So did you!” Oh, out of the mouths of babes.  And much like her father and her cousin before her, Mari had no filter.  And a part of me loved her for it.  She wasn’t wrong, “You got bigger than Daddy.”</p><p> </p><p>Dammit, Mari…Maybe you need to learn to develop a filter.  Because in that moment, Hector turned bright red.  And Uncle Trevor slammed his head into the tabletop.  And Sypha held her face in her hands.  And Adrian was doing all he could to keep himself from laughing hysterically.  But like I said, Mari wasn’t wrong.  Hector definitely got bigger.  I’m sure that’s from working the teashop.  The old woman did say she needed someone to do the heavy lifting.  And fuck, if that didn’t have an adverse effect on him.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, Mari…” Hector started to remember just who this little girl was.  And who she belonged to.  And I loved her.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s been a while, Hector,” Adrian wiped the smirk off his face.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s good to be amongst familiar faces again,” Hector sat next to me with Mari on his lap, “That’s for sure.”</p><p> </p><p>“You…” the Elder studied Hector’s face closer, “You’re the one from the bakery, yes?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” Hector nodded.</p><p> </p><p>“You know this man, Sypha?” he wondered.</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” Sypha smiled, “We’ve met.  We know each other very well, Grandpa.  He lived with us for a while.”</p><p> </p><p>“He’s Eden’s boyfriend,” Uncle Trevor added.</p><p> </p><p>“How do you know him, Grandpa?” Sypha asked.</p><p> </p><p>“We tried getting food from the bakery,” the Elder explained, “No one would serve us.  We were speakers.  We were nothing but evil.  Mad black magicians.”</p><p> </p><p>“And I thought that was just us that got called that,” Uncle Trevor joked darkly.</p><p> </p><p>“But when we went to the bakery,’ the Elder went on, “A man stopped me in the alley near the back door.  And he gave us bread.  He made sure we were taken care of.”</p><p> </p><p>“No one deserves to be starved like that,” Hector assured him, “And no one deserves to be treated so poorly.  For a town that prides itself on being so devoted to the church, I’m surprised they’d turn anyone away.  But if you mention one thing from the scripture that can be used against them, suddenly, you’re the evil one.”</p><p> </p><p>“But they banished the evil out of you,” I grumbled.  Was I still bitter about them forcing Hector to stay here?  Of course I was.  That meant him not coming home where he belonged.  Was I still pissed about them forcing him into a baptism?  Absolutely.  I wasn’t much of a big believer in an afterlife, but if what everyone has always told me was true, that I would be burning in hell for all eternity…I thought we’d at least burn together. </p><p> </p><p>“Eden…” And I think Hector might have picked up on my bitterness, “Can’t we just have a nice night?  It’s been so long since we’ve had one.”</p><p> </p><p>“I wanted to,” I growled, “But the church decided to ruin that for me, too!”</p><p> </p><p>“Eden,” Uncle Trevor understood my temper better than anyone in this room.  Possibly better than anyone else in the world.  He knew when to get my ass out of there before blood was spilled.  He took my hand, “Let’s go get a drink.”</p><p> </p><p>“Fine.” Because if there was one thing I needed to add to this already blazing fire in me, it’s alcohol.  Maybe to quell it.  Hopefully to quell it.  I got one last kiss from Hector, “We shouldn’t be gone long.”</p><p> </p><p>“I love you…” Hector barely spoke above a whisper.  He knew I was pissed.  He knew he had something to do with it.  And something tells me the guilt weighs heavy on him.  We couldn’t have that, could we?  Of course not.</p><p> </p><p>“I love you, too,” I assured him, “I promise we won’t be gone long.”</p><p> </p><p>“Be careful.”</p><p> </p><p>“We will.”</p><p> </p><p>And just like that, Uncle Trevor and I left everyone behind in search of alcohol.  Now, if I were a pub in this town, where would I be?  Normally, I could at least sniff one of them out.  Or at the very least, Uncle Trevor could.  But I wasn’t getting anything.  And neither was he.  I didn’t like this.  All I wanted was a drink.  And after Mari telling Hector he was bigger than Uncle Trevor (which…She was not wrong.  Damn, she was not wrong.), I have no doubt he wanted one, too. </p><p> </p><p>“What kind of town doesn’t have a tavern in it?” Uncle Trevor grumbled to himself.</p><p> </p><p>“One that shouldn’t be trusted,” I stopped off at a man’s stall in the marketplace where he was closing up for the night, “Excuse me.”</p><p> </p><p>“What can I do for you, sweetheart?” he got an eyeful of me.  Oh, I already don’t like you.</p><p> </p><p>“Not call me sweet…” I bit my tongue.  Focus, Eden.  Eyes on the prize here, “You wouldn’t happen to know where we could find the nearest pub, would you?”</p><p> </p><p>“There are no pubs in Echowood,” the man told me, “Nearest one is probably a day’s ride from here.”</p><p> </p><p>“I want to go home…” And Uncle Trevor was left heartbroken.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you,” I smiled sweetly, even more pissed than when we left.  I had no doubt this was the church’s doing. </p><p> </p><p>Uncle Trevor dragged me away, “I want a drink, Eden.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know you do.” Because the tight grip on my wrist was merely for my protection, I’m sure, “I do, too.  But where the hell are we going to find something to drink in a dry village like Echowood?”</p><p> </p><p>He sat and stewed for a brief moment.  Until something sparked in his head, “I think I have an idea.  It’s not exactly a good one, but it might be the best we got.”</p><p> </p><p>“Do tell,” I took a seat on a nearby tree stump.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m going to ask you a question,” Uncle Trevor began, “And I want an honest answer.  You don’t need to worry about judgment if the answer is yes.  I have no room to talk.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok.” Please don’t let this be about my early days on my own.  Because I don’t want to know if Uncle Trevor has ever whored himself out for money.  I wanted to sleep tonight, “What’s your question?”</p><p> </p><p>“Have you ever stolen anything?” he asked.  Then, he answered his own question, “Of course, you have.  It’s practically a rite of passage in our family.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, I’ve stolen before,” I nodded, thanking every deity in the book that it wasn’t about prostitution, “Why do you ask?”</p><p> </p><p>“Clearly,” Uncle Trevor figured, “The church has done something to royally shit in your breakfast.  Am I right?”</p><p> </p><p>“You have no idea how big of a shit they took in my breakfast…”</p><p> </p><p>“And I want a drink,” he had a glint in his eye.  One full of mischief and excitement.  I didn’t get to see that in Uncle Trevor often, so it’d be wise to listen to it, “Ever hear of a little something called communion wine?”</p><p> </p><p>My heart stopped.  And I threw my arms around my uncle, “Uncle Trevor, you’re a fucking genius.”</p><p> </p><p>“And it’s about time my genius is appreciated,” Uncle Trevor hugged me tight, “Let’s go get drunk on the church tonight, yeah?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, please.”</p><p> </p><p>I didn’t even give communion wine a thought.  Then again, my mother never brought me to church.  Mostly because of the excommunication.  Partially because fuck them.  And it’s not like they’re going to allow a dhampir into their blessed house of the holy.  I didn’t turn out any different.  I mean, it’s not like I’m going to start now.  Fuck that.  Not after everything they’ve put me through.  Everything they’ve put my family through.  Both immediate and extended.  So, why not steal a bottle or two from their cellars? </p><p> </p><p>“Alright, Eden,” Uncle Trevor hoisted me up at the back window, “You need to keep as quiet as possible.  We’ll go in, get our wine, and get out.”</p><p> </p><p>Then, it dawned on me.  We’re going to be going into the church to steal some communion wine.  What else could we possibly steal while we’re in here?  I liked the sound of that one, “You go find wine.  I got ulterior motives.  We’ll meet back up outside, ok?”</p><p> </p><p>“Where are you going?” he whispered, pulling himself in.</p><p> </p><p>“Just trust me,” I promised, “We’ll meet back up outside.  Their wine cellar’s down in the basement.  I can smell it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Whatever you do,” Uncle Trevor begged, “Please be careful.”</p><p> </p><p>“I will.” Now, if I were Hector’s medallions or the key to his chastity belt, where would I be…?  The office, probably.  Huh.  That’s strange.  I, a known dhampir (known to me, anyway.  I’m not a pile of ashes, so it’s not like the church knows.) and an excommunicated Belmont, walked into a church and…It didn’t burn down?  Gasp!  Who would’ve thought?  I didn’t catch fire?  God didn’t smite me down where I stood?  I’m so fucking surprised…</p><p> </p><p>Office, office…Office!  There you are.  I turned the knob and pushed the door open.  I would’ve locked this door myself.  Especially considering there are forging medallions in here.  But that’s just me, I guess.  Now, where would those forging medallions be?  And if I just happen to find a skeleton key that could fit into, say, a lock around my boyfriend’s waist, that would be fantastic, too.  If it were me, I’d have them somewhere up high.  Shelf, maybe?  In a locked box. </p><p> </p><p>Pat…Pat…Pat…Pat…</p><p> </p><p>Oh, shit.  That’s not good.  Immediately, I hid under the desk, hoping no one would see me.  Shit.  I’m caught.  I’m fucked.  I’m about to get taken behind the woodshed and get ran through the fucking gambit.  They’ll find out what I am and I’ll end up killed.  Not only me, but probably the whole family!  Wait a second…They don’t need to know what I am.  I know what I am.  And why the hell am I so scared?  I don’t need to be.  I focused for a brief moment on the bushes outside the church.  Somewhere relatively hidden.  And I teleported my way out of the church.  I keep forgetting I can do that.  Why do I keep suppressing my powers?  They come in handy when I need them.</p><p> </p><p>Dammit, I forgot Uncle Trevor.  They don’t need to find him with sticky fingers in their wine cellar.  Well, I’ve teleported Mari around while she played hide and seek with Uncle Alucard more times than I can count.  I don’t see why Uncle Trevor would be any different.  Let’s see…Wine cellar.  Wine cellar’s probably in the basement.  I could see it now.  I shut my eyes and the second I opened them again, I saw Uncle Trevor caught highly off guard.</p><p> </p><p>I simply turned to him with a bottle of communion wine in his hands and smiled, “Hi there!”</p><p> </p><p>And not a moment too soon, we were back outside again.  Although, Uncle Trevor needed a minute to throw up in the bushes, “Jesus Christ, Eden!  I told you to warn me first before you do shit like that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry,” I winced, “I didn’t know you’d be so sensitive to that, Uncle Trevor.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve never been teleported before,” he regained his footing and handed me the goods, “Take this before I drop it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok.” It’s not like he had to tell me twice, “Hey, Uncle Trevor?”</p><p> </p><p>“What is it now, Eden?”</p><p> </p><p>“Do you think we’re going to hell for stealing communion wine?”</p><p> </p><p>“Really?” he stared blankly at me, “After everything we’ve been through…After what our last name is…After what we come from…You think our one way trip to the eternal lake of fire would be over something as frivolous as stealing communion wine?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” I giggled a bit, “Dumb question.”</p><p> </p><p>“Come on,” Uncle Trevor rolled his eyes, holding back a smile, “Something tells me you’re not quite ready to go back in there yet.  We’ll go drink in the wagon.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok.” He wasn’t wrong.  I was still a little hot from the bullshit the church has done.  What they’ve put Hector through.  The fact that I wasn’t here to make sure it never happened.  But then again, if they would’ve found us together…Hector would’ve been lucky to get off with what he got.  And I’d be meeting the business end of a matchstick.  Maybe it was for the best we weren’t together when he came to Echowood…Once Uncle Trevor and I were comfortable in the back of the wagon, that bottle of communion wine got popped open.</p><p> </p><p>“Cheers,” Uncle Trevor tipped the neck to me. </p><p> </p><p>“Cheers,” I gladly accepted the first drink.</p><p> </p><p>“It might not be ale,” he grabbed the next one, “But it’s better than nothing.”</p><p> </p><p>“Things taste better when we steal them from a church,” I laid my head on his shoulder, beyond exhausted, beyond hurt.  I straddled the line between numb and self-destructive and didn’t know which side to take.  But I knew one thing was for sure.  I needed to vent.</p><p> </p><p>“Eden?” And Uncle Trevor knew that, “You want to tell me what happened?  Why you got so pissed off tonight?”</p><p> </p><p>“They baptized him, Uncle Trevor…” my body shook in sheer anger.</p><p> </p><p>“They…” he wasn’t exactly following, “What?”</p><p> </p><p>“Hector,” I explained.  In small words, so he could understand, “They brought him to the river and baptized him.  It was either that or they would’ve killed him.  Words cannot describe the sheer fucking rage that’s burning in me right now.”</p><p> </p><p>“And how do we take care of that?”</p><p> </p><p>“Drinking more?”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Uncle Trevor thought for a second, “Any other day, I’d say yes.  But we’ll go from getting angry to getting even very soon.  Ok?  Can’t Hector just wave over some night creatures to tear the village down for the sake of breaking whatever spell the church has on him and everything’s ok?”</p><p> </p><p>“Why do you think they baptized him in the first place?” I grumbled, taking another hit from the bottle, “They found out he’s a forgemaster.  He can’t forge.  His medallions are locked away somewhere.  I tried looking for them when we were in the church…”</p><p> </p><p>“Which miraculously didn’t burn down!” he gave me a little pop to the thigh, “Look at that!”</p><p> </p><p>“Yay…”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t be like that,” Uncle Trevor put an arm around me, “Far be it for me to be the optimist here, but we’ve been through hell before.  Why should this be any different?”</p><p> </p><p>“Thanks, Uncle Trevor,” I had a feeling the bottle would be coming up empty very soon, “I came up short his medallions, but hey!  We got our wine.  I got to scare the fuck out of you.  Yippee.  I would kill someone for a mountain lion right about now.”</p><p> </p><p>“I thought you were more for smaller animals when your other half was hungry.”</p><p> </p><p>“I am usually,” I agreed, “But mountain lion would be more for the thrill of the hunt.”</p><p> </p><p>“Understandable.”</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t find his medallions,” I scoffed, “I didn’t find the chastity belt key.  It’s hell.”</p><p> </p><p>“Excuse me?” he gasped, “What was that?  Because if I didn’t know any better, I’d think you said you couldn’t find the key to a chastity belt.”</p><p> </p><p>“The world is hell, Uncle Trevor,” I stared into the distance like an old widow that still waits for her husband to return home from the war, “Just when I think I can’t hate them enough, they take that away from me, too.  Hector’s lucky I love him or I may consider straying.  Then again, why stray when I can…”</p><p> </p><p>“Eden,” he cut me off, “I love you.  Really, I do.  But there are certain things I don’t need to hear.  You taking care of yourself when Hector can’t take care of you is one of those things.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know, I know,” I stopped myself before I could go on.  Although, I’d be lying if I said I couldn’t take care of myself.  It’s not the same, but it would do in a pinch, “Thanks, Uncle Trevor.  I needed a good drink.”</p><p> </p><p>“You and me both,” Uncle Trevor took the empty bottle away from me, “Even if I didn’t get nearly as much as you did.”</p><p> </p><p>“You weren’t the one that had unasked for divine intervention in your sex life.”</p><p> </p><p>“You weren’t the one that had your daughter compare you to your niece’s boyfriend.”</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t expect Hector to double in size while we were apart.”</p><p> </p><p>“Alright,” Uncle Trevor dropped it, “Agree to disagree.  But now that you know what the cellar looks like, do you think you could get another bottle of wine?”</p><p> </p><p>“Do I want to go back into that church tonight?” I shut my eyes for a moment or two, “Not particularly.  Besides, we need to be discreet about that.  One bottle, they won’t notice.  Multiple bottles, they’ll notice.  So, we’re going to have to wait for a while.  I’m sure we can do that.”</p><p> </p><p>“I sure as hell hope so,” he jumped down from the back of the wagon, “Why don’t you go in there, get Hector, and get some sleep, ok?”</p><p> </p><p>“That sounds like a good idea,” I took his hand and followed him back inside.</p><p> </p><p>Mari had already fallen asleep in Hector’s lap.  And my heart skipped a beat.  It’s too bad Hector and I could never have kids of our own.  I mean…I’m sure it’s physically possible, but it’s bad enough I’m a dhampir.  We don’t need another one running around.  Even though that baby would only be a quarter instead of half…No.  It’s bad enough that baby would be a Belmont.  We don’t need forging and vampirism in it, too. </p><p> </p><p>“How long has Mari been sleeping?” Uncle Trevor asked, scooping her up from Hector’s lap.</p><p> </p><p>“Probably the last hour or so,” Hector figured.</p><p> </p><p>“Hector…” I kept my voice down, “Can you come with me please?”</p><p> </p><p>“Sure,” he got up from his spot on the floor near the fire and took my hand, “Is everything alright?”</p><p> </p><p>“Good night, everyone,” I waved behind me, “You know where we’ll be.”</p><p> </p><p>“Be careful, you two,” Adrian warned us, “We don’t need to be going to the town square any time soon.”</p><p> </p><p>“We will,” Hector promised, giving him a reassuring nod, “Shall we then, my love?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, please,” I could’ve easily fallen asleep standing up.  And Hector knew that.  Fortunately, his intuition told him to put me on his back.  Ok…This is nice.  I can get used to this.</p><p> </p><p>Hector carried me all the way back to the teashop and brought me up a staircase in the back that led to a nicely furnished loft.  I didn’t care much about what it looked like, so long as there was a bed for me to sleep in.  That communion wine got to me quicker than I thought it would.  Maybe they did something stupid to it like bless it and it’s not agreeing with my other half.  Or because of that, it’s only making my other half drunker.</p><p> </p><p>I didn’t care, though.  Once Hector laid me down, he crawled into bed next to me and immediately, I curled not him.  It’s just like when we were still living in the castle together.  Only not nearly as comfortable.  I shut my eyes and felt a gentle kiss on my forehead, “Soon, my love.  I promise you we’ll be able to satiate each other’s appetites.”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t care anymore,” I held him tight, “I know we’ll get through it, but right now, I’m just happy you’re here.”</p><p> </p><p>“As am I…Good night, Eden.”</p><p> </p><p>“Good night, Hector…” </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. Sunday</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi, friends!  So, how are we?  Doing well, I hope?  Better than me, I hope.  I’ve been sick all weekend and it sucks.  I wouldn’t wish this on you.  My worst enemies, we’ll see, but never you.  *chu*  Here.  You want a WTF chapter?  Have a WTF chapter.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>I missed this.  My boyfriend at my back, a nice, warm breeze coming through the window, and everything was right with the world.  Well…Almost right with the world.  It would’ve been nice if the church wasn’t currently holding our sex life hostage, but it’ll be ok.  Don’t you worry, my love.  Before we leave Echowood, you and I will have a night we will never forget.  We will have a night where I will show you tricks I’ve never shown you before.  Some of them were special requests back when I had to fuck for my next meal. </p><p> </p><p>Still, this was nice.  I had Hector.  I could physically reach over and touch him.  We could finally enjoy our moment of peace.  I shut my eyes for just a few moments more.  That’s all I asked for.  But then…Given who I am, I didn’t hold much hope in religions or gods.  I had what I had and some things fell in my lap out of sheer luck.  However, it wasn’t often I ever got truly lucky.  If last night wasn’t a slap to the face with that.  But this?  Maybe God was finally throwing me a bone.</p><p> </p><p>I felt Hector’s lips on my forehead.  And for the first time in what felt like an eternity, I could smile again.  A real, genuine smile, “Good morning, my love…”</p><p> </p><p>“Good morning,” I melted inside.</p><p> </p><p>“Did you sleep well?”</p><p> </p><p>“Like stone,” I nuzzled my face in Hector’s warm, bare chest.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s good to hear,” Hector traced his fingers down my spine, “You know, I really do wish I could’ve put you to sleep properly last night, Eden.”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t worry about it,” I let it go, “The wine took care of that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Where in the hell did you manage to find wine here?” he gasped.</p><p> </p><p>“Uncle Trevor and I had to get crafty,” I giggled a bit, “If we weren’t going to hell already, I think stealing communion wine might get us there.”</p><p> </p><p>“You stole communion wine?” Hector laughed with me, “Oh, Eden, I missed you so much.  To think, I almost forgot what this was like.”</p><p> </p><p>“What?” I teased him a bit, “Your girlfriend being a kleptomaniac and her uncle being a lush?”</p><p> </p><p>“Precisely,” he kissed me once more.</p><p> </p><p>Knock, knock.</p><p> </p><p>“Fuck me,” I groaned, keeping my voice down.  With a quickness, Hector pushed me off the bed and onto the floor, “Hector, what the fuck?”</p><p> </p><p>“Stay there,” he ordered, jumping up from the bed, “And stay quiet.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok…” Something had him nervous.  I only saw that look on his face when we were in Styria.  That could only mean one person was behind that door.  I kept my mouth shut and watched under the bed as Hector quickly threw on a shirt.  Aww.</p><p> </p><p>“Brother Albert,” Hector answered the door, “What a lovely surprise.”</p><p> </p><p>“You weren’t sleeping in, were you, Hector?” Brother Albert scolded him.  I wasn’t this asshole’s biggest fan in the first place, but the fact that he interrupted my morning, my bliss, put him just a notch higher up on my shit list.</p><p> </p><p>“Is it Sunday already?” Hector had an unusually cheery lilt in his voice.  Under any other circumstances, I would’ve been fine, but this…This made me uneasy, “Of course I’m not sleeping in.  I wouldn’t miss it for the world.  It’s silly of you to even suggest that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Uh-huh,” I don’t think Brother Albert was buying Hector’s line of bullshit.  If he had his way, Hector would still be in bed with me, but alas.  Here I was.  On the floor behind the bed.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll be downstairs shortly,” Hector told him, doing his best to shoo the guy out.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll be waiting,” Brother Albert assured him, a hint of a threat in his voice, taking a quick glance over Hector’s shoulder, “You should see if Miss Eden would care to join us.  She seems like she could use the religion.”</p><p> </p><p>“We’ll see,” Hector wasn’t making a promise.  Neither was I.  Like I wanted to sit in a church for the next few hours without any blood in me, “But I’m not sure when she’s leaving.  She could be gone by now.”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Brother Albert seemed to know better, “There’s still a wagon not from around here witting outside the inn.”</p><p> </p><p>There’s no way in hell Uncle Trevor stayed at the inn.  Or Adrian.  Or Sypha.  And Mari goes where they go, so…They didn’t stay across from a church.  But then, something dawned on me.  Eden, you idiot.  You’re a dhampir.  What are you doing still on the floor?  Especially if Brother Albert decides to search Hector’s house.  He’s not finding me behind his bed.  Not happening.  Let’s see…I could see where the speakers were staying.  I could always just…</p><p> </p><p>Show up at their front door.  Because idiot Eden keeps forgetting she can teleport.  I walked in like I owned the place and scared the shit out of everyone, “Morning, everyone.”</p><p> </p><p>“Eden!” Mari ran up to me, attaching herself to my leg.</p><p> </p><p>“Good morning, Mari,” I kissed her forehead.  That’s always a nice way to start the morning.</p><p> </p><p>“Good morning, Eden,” Uncle Trevor didn’t seem nearly as excited as Eden.  He didn’t have nearly as much wine as I did.  He shouldn’t be that bad.  Maybe his age is getting to him.  Poor baby.  I put my fingers to his temple, hopefully helping his headache, “I love you.”</p><p> </p><p>“I love you, too, Uncle Trevor,” I melted inside.  Isn’t he a sweetheart?</p><p> </p><p>“How did you get in here?” the elder asked, staring me down with intrigue, “Our door was locked.”</p><p> </p><p>“The same way I can,” Adrian stepped in.</p><p> </p><p>I lifted up my top lip, showing off the shiny proof of what I am, “I’m a dhampir.  I can teleport.”</p><p> </p><p>“You teleported here?” one of the other speakers gasped.</p><p> </p><p>“From above the teashop,” I nodded.</p><p> </p><p>“How was last night?” Sypha teased me, “You and Hector left and you never came back.”</p><p> </p><p>“Trust me,” I grumbled, “It was almost perfect.  We couldn’t make it a truly magical night, but fuck, I slept so hard last night.”</p><p> </p><p>“You need to be careful about your teleporting, Eden,” Adrian warned me, “It’s Sunday.  You know the clergy are going to be keeping a close eye on everything and anything.  Maybe you’ll want to be careful about when you hunt.”</p><p> </p><p>“When she hunts?” the Elder wondered, “You mean…She…Feeds?”</p><p> </p><p>“Small animals usually do it,” I promised, “I don’t do humans.  I’m not an idiot.  Nor a cannibal.  I’ve only had human blood once.  And it was the blood of a nun.”</p><p> </p><p>“When was this?” Uncle Trevor shot me a glare.</p><p> </p><p>“When I was in Styria,” I explained, “I didn’t have much of a say in it.  Carmilla kept me fed.  And it was always human.  Usually the blood of a nun.  That shit gave me a buzz I’ve never had before.”</p><p> </p><p>“Because you don’t need to be drinking human blood, Eden!” Uncle Trevor snapped.</p><p> </p><p>“And you might want to keep your voice down, Belmont,” Adrian got him under control.</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah…” Uncle Trevor pouted, “Easy for you to say.  You didn’t find out your niece drank human blood.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not like I asked for it!” I argued, “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go attempt to get Hector out of his Sunday obligations.  I’ll be careful.  I promise.”</p><p> </p><p>“Good,” Sypha sent me off, “And…Eden…”</p><p> </p><p>“Hmm?” I went over by the door, the two of us somewhat secluded.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t worry about Trevor,” she assured me, “I’m sure I can get him to calm down.  Like you said, you didn’t ask for human.  And you can’t be blamed for what Carmilla forced you into.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, Sypha.” Uncle Trevor really does need to put a ring on her finger.  If Hector and I could get married right now, I’m sure we would.  But that would involve people we don’t need to involve.  But that’s here nor there, “Be careful.”</p><p> </p><p>“You, too…”</p><p> </p><p>And just like that, I teleported myself to the alley behind the teashop.  I knew where this road led.  I knew what I’d have to do.  I knew getting Hector out of church would be impossible.  But maybe I can make it a little less miserable for him.  I walked up the stairs and caught Brother Albert by surprise.  And even better, I think I surprised Hector, too.</p><p> </p><p>“Good morning, Hector,” I smiled sweetly, “Hello, Brother Albert.  You’re a pleasant surprise.”</p><p> </p><p>“Eden…” Hector blinked a couple times, “When did you get here?”</p><p> </p><p>“A few minutes ago,” I giggled, “Why?  Did you have other plans?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s Sunday, Miss Eden,” Brother Albert pointed out, shooting quick glares to Hector, “Our regular services are this morning.”</p><p> </p><p>“You…” Hector struggled to speak.  Go ahead, my love, “Would you care to…Join us?”</p><p> </p><p>I didn’t have intentions of catching my boyfriend by surprise, but I’ve already done it once.  I might as well do it again.  I slipped my hand into his in an act of such innocence and purity.  Mostly for show, though.  Although, it’s nice to be able to hold Hector’s hand again, “I’d love to.”</p><p> </p><p>“Really?” Hector looked at me strange.  I squeezed his hand a little tighter as if to tell him to shut the fuck up, “Ok.  Shall we then?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” Brother Albert made that decision for us.  I have a feeling Hector was used to that, though. </p><p> </p><p>As the two of us followed him to the church, Hector took advantage of the chatter going on around us.  He knew I could pick his voice out of a crowd.  And bless my acute senses.  I may not like Godbrand for what he did to my mother, but dammit, sometimes, these dhampir powers come in handy.</p><p> </p><p>“Eden, are you fucking insane?” Hector mumbled, “What are you doing?”</p><p> </p><p>“Trust me, Hector,” I assured him, “I’ll be fine.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re a dhampir about to walk into a church,” he pointed out, “Not to mention, you come from an excommunicated bloodline.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hector,” I wrapped myself around his arm, “I promise.  I’ll be fine.  I’ve managed this far.  I think I’ll be ok if I walk into the church.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok,” Hector gave me his full trust.  But then, it dawned on me…I was about to sit through fucking church?  Eden, you idiot. </p><p> </p><p>“After you,” Brother Albert watched us closely.  Particularly me.  And he was right to.  I’m a dhampir.  If I cross this threshold and burst into flames, then it saves them a step and they don’t have to bring me to the square.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you.” But I had a smile on my face and a content feeling in my heart.  It’s not like I’ve never been here before.  I stepped into the church and…Surprise, surprise.  I didn’t catch fire.  I didn’t burn.  I didn’t feel a thing.  I wonder why that was.  Perhaps God abandoned this church.  Or perhaps God realized what His alleged clergy were up to and abandoned them instead.  And I loved it.  Almost as much as I loved the dumbfounded look on Brother Albert’s face when I didn’t catch fire.</p><p> </p><p>I wanted to take a seat in the back row, but Hector wasn’t allowing it.  And I was lost, “Hector?  Is everything ok?”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t get to sit in the back,” Hector winced, “I have to sit in the front.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh…” Dammit.  So much for being able to sneak off early.  Or at all.</p><p> </p><p>“At this point,” he whispered to me, “I’m just glad you’re still in one piece.”</p><p> </p><p>“I was here last night,” I reminded him, “Where do you think I stole the communion wine from?  It’s practically a Belmont rite of passage.”</p><p> </p><p>“Eden, I absolutely adore you,” Hector kissed the top of my head.  And the two of us sat right in the front row. </p><p> </p><p>“I love you, too,” I laid my head on his shoulder, hoping to God, I’d be able to catch a nap.  Because this was going to be my own private hell.  I could hardly sit still to begin with.  And I couldn’t get any blood on the way here, so I know I’m going to be fucking ravenous when I get out.  Fortunately for me, I’ve mastered the art of falling asleep with my eyes open.</p><p> </p><p>As the Father gave his sermon, I went right to sleep, but I kept my eyes open.  To the best of my ability anyway.  As if I’d genuinely want to go through an entire Sunday sermon.  Fuck that.  I had bigger things in mind.  If I would’ve had my way, I’d be doing some brief teleporting around the church, just to get a better map of it in my head.  And if I did that, I’d be able to find the important things.  Like Hector’s forging medallions.  And the key to his chastity belt.  Because a former prostitute with vampire appetites needs to take bed with the man she loves and when we do, it is not going to be a quiet affair.  Oh, no.  It’s going to be loud.  And messy.  And one of us is going to wake up sore the next morning, if not both. </p><p> </p><p>“Eden?” Hector nudged me out of my beautiful trance.  And my fantasies of us in a field of wildflowers under a full moon.  I’m allowed my romantic fantasies, alright?  I didn’t ask for judgment.</p><p> </p><p>“Hmm?” I came to again.  And possibly came a little, “Did you need me for something?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s over,” he helped me onto my feet, “Where were you just now?”</p><p> </p><p>“Not…Asleep?” I technically wasn’t lying to him.  Mentally, I was in a field of wildflowers and he was naked and on top of me.  It was nice.</p><p> </p><p>“Eden, I love you,” Hector pulled me to his side.  But unfortunately, in order for my sensual, beautiful fantasies to come true, I needed a key.  And in order to get that key, I needed to earn some trust around here.  I’d say stepping foot into a church without any resistance was a good way to start. </p><p> </p><p>“Hey,” I kissed his cheek, “I need to talk to the Father.  Do you mind?”</p><p> </p><p>“Do we have to?” he cringed.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s brief, I promise,” I kept a tight grip on his hand, putting him a little more at ease, “Excuse me, Father?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, my child?” the Father looked me over, “Hello.  You’re new.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m merely passing through Echowood,” I told him, “Unfortunately, I won’t be here much longer.”</p><p> </p><p>At least in a perfect world, I won’t.  The Father chuckled to himself, “Hector said the same thing when he first arrived.  But he couldn’t help but settle here.”</p><p> </p><p>Because you’re forcing him to be here.  If he had his way, I have no doubt he’d run back to the Belmont estate and come home where he needs to be, “It is a quaint little village.  And it reminds me a lot of the village I grew up in, but I’m sure I’ve outgrown a need for a village like that.”</p><p> </p><p>“And where was that?”</p><p> </p><p>“Lupu,” I remembered, “From what I understand, they’ve mostly rebuilt from the night hordes.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes…” the Father grumbled, shooting an angry glare at Hector, “The night hordes.”</p><p> </p><p>“We should be going, Eden,” Hector couldn’t stand still.  I have no doubt this place made his skin crawl just as bad as it did mine, if not worse.  I know you want to get out of here, my love, but I came here a woman on a mission.</p><p> </p><p>“You know, Father,” I switched tangents, “If it’s not too much to ask, I’d love a tour of the church.  Not now, of course.  My stomach wouldn’t allow it and I’m sure Hector’s hungry, too.”</p><p> </p><p>“Famished,” Hector jumped in.</p><p> </p><p>“But perhaps this evening?” I asked.</p><p> </p><p>“We’d be happy to have you,” the Father allowed, a sinister smile on his face making my stomach turn, “You are more than welcome to come back around dusk.  Would that work for you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Absolutely,” I nodded, “I’ll see you tonight.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll see you tonight,” I walked out with Hector by my side.  At least I didn’t catch fire.  Although, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel icky while we were in there.  Like I didn’t belong.  Because I didn’t.  Is that what excommunication feels like?  Or is that the dhampir in me?  Maybe a healthy combination of both.</p><p> </p><p>When we left the church, we went back to the speakers’ place of refuge.  It’s strange.  Not a word was said between us.  I would’ve thought there’d be some semblance of conversation, but not a single peep out of Hector.  It made me nervous.  I couldn’t even get a good read on his face, but when we got there, he practically threw me through the doorway, “Eden, are you fucking mad?!”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” I steadied myself, “But I have a feeling you’re pissed.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re damn right, I’m pissed!” Hector snapped, “I’m scared!  I’m worried about you!  Why the fuck would you be willingly walking toward them?!  It’s practically suicide for you!”</p><p> </p><p>“You know,” Sypha kept her voice down, “When people come in, they usually start with hello, but…”</p><p> </p><p>“Sypha,” Adrian held her back, “I suggest staying out of this one.  What seems to be the problem?”</p><p> </p><p>“Eden’s lost her mind,” Hector threw himself into a chair.  Oh, yeah.  He’s good and pissed.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh,” Adrian dropped it, “And here you had me worried.”</p><p> </p><p>“Wait a second,” Sypha thought, “It’s Sunday.”</p><p> </p><p>“Aren’t you forced to attend church, Hector?” Adrian wondered.</p><p> </p><p>“I did,” Hector squeaked, “And Eden, as much as I love her, was <em>fucking stupid enough </em>to go with me!”</p><p> </p><p>“Excuse me?” Adrian gasped.  Uncle Trevor’s ear perked up, “An <em>excommunicated </em>Belmont just walked into a church?  Not only that, but an excommunicated Belmont with vampire blood running through her veins?”</p><p> </p><p>And Uncle Trevor laughed hysterically, “I must admit, Eden.  For a while, I wasn’t sure if you were truly of the Belmont line, but you’ve definitely got a bigger pair of balls than most, don’t you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Is Eden getting captured by the church funny to you, Belmont?” Adrian scoffed, ready to throw Uncle Trevor through the wall.</p><p> </p><p>“We were there last night,” Uncle Trevor wiped the tears from his eyes.</p><p> </p><p>“You went into the church last night?” Sypha reached for a pan off the wall.  I think Adrian and Sypha shared a brain some days.</p><p> </p><p>“We stole a bottle of wine,” Uncle Trevor explained, “It’s alright.  Look.  Still intact, Sypha.  I’m alright.  So is Eden.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok,” Sypha let out a heavy sigh of relief, “That’s comforting.  You had me nervous for a moment.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry,” Uncle Trevor pulled her into his lap, “But I don’t see what the problem is here, Hector.”</p><p> </p><p>“Care to tell them what else you did while you were there this morning, Eden?” Hector scolded me, “Or should I tell them?”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t understand why this is getting to you so badly,” I rolled my eyes, “If this were turned around, you can’t tell me you wouldn’t do the same for me.”</p><p><br/>“She’s touring the church tonight.”</p><p> </p><p>“She’s what?” Uncle Trevor squeaked.</p><p> </p><p>“I am.” No sense in hiding it, “I have a plan.  There’s something going on here, Uncle Trevor.  I can feel it in the pit of my damned soul.  And it needs to be taken care of.  This is our kind of something going on.  Hector told me this place was worse than Gresit.  And I need to poke around for a little while, if that’s alright with you.”</p><p> </p><p>“If it’s not,” Uncle Trevor understood me better than most some days, “I’m sure that’s not going to stop you, is it, Eden?”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” I put my foot down, “Hector, I love you.  I want to bring you home.  Is that so wrong of me?”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Hector threw his arms around me, “But I wish you didn’t have to throw yourself into the fire in order to do that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Whatever you’re doing, Eden,” Uncle Trevor warned, “Tread lightly.  The church is not something you want to get tangled up with.  You, specifically.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know,” I nodded.  I’ve seen what the church has done.  What they’re capable of.  And I’ll be damned if I let them take away everything I love and hold dear.</p><p> </p><p>“You’re living through this adventure,” Hector demanded, holding me tight.</p><p> </p><p>“That’s the plan,” I cuddled into him.  But then, I felt an uncomfortable warmth in my belly.  I had a feeling I’d need that sooner or later, “Adrian…”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, Eden?” Adrian took me out of Hector’s lap, “What is it?”</p><p> </p><p>“Can we go on a hunt?” I asked, “I’m feeling hungry.”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course,” he kissed the top of my head, “We’re going to have to teleport out of here, though.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s fine,” I allowed, getting one last kiss from Hector, “We shouldn’t be long.”</p><p> </p><p>“Be careful,” Hector begged, “Please, Eden.”</p><p> </p><p>“I will,” I swore, “Shall we?”</p><p> </p><p>“To the hunt.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. Pieces</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A/N:  Hi, friends!  Here we are.  The beginning of another week.  I’m happy to have you here.  Hey…I missed you.  *chu*</p><p> </p><p>Are we ready to get into this week?  Well…There is a little bit of suggestive content in this week’s chapter.  You’ll know it when you see it.  So, I’m going to go over here and let you read this week’s chapter.  Sound like a plan?  Let’s go! x</p><p> </p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p> </p><p>Just a quick flash to the outskirts of Echowood was all I needed.  I had no doubt that Adrian was feeling a bit peckish, too.  I never understood how he could go for so long without blood.  These days, I almost hit blood as much as I do human food.  Still, I needed a hunt.  We teleported to the little cabin Hector brought me to the other day.  My burial of my last drink still looked fresh.  Then again, it wasn’t too long ago that I buried that squirrel.</p><p> </p><p>And fortunately, a small family of rabbits would meet the same end.  I’d have a warm meal in my stomach.  Adrian and I could hunt together.  Everything was great.  For the most part.  Until he stopped me in my tracks.  I knew it was coming.  I could feel it.  Hell, I could hear it in his pulse.  He may have one that crawls like my own, but I know when it sounds more human and we were the only ones in the immediate vicinity, something was up.</p><p> </p><p>“Eden…” Adrian wiped the corner of my mouth as I finished off my last rabbit, “You never could be a clean eater, could you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry,” I giggled a bit, licking the last bit from my lips, “I didn’t expect to be under scrutiny or I would’ve had some more manners.”</p><p> </p><p>“You can’t help it,” he smiled a bit, “That’s the Belmont half of you coming out.”</p><p> </p><p>“Are you sure that’s the Belmont half?” I wondered, “Maybe it’s not.”</p><p> </p><p>“Vampires are rather dignified creatures by nature,” Adrian explained, “Although…”</p><p> </p><p>“Godbrand was a fucking pig from what I understand,” I started digging the hole.  Do I give them individual burials?  No.  One hole should do it.</p><p> </p><p>“He was,” he confirmed, “Most vampires are dignified.  There are some exceptions, though.  For example.  Godbrand.”</p><p> </p><p>“And your father was any better?” I teased him.</p><p> </p><p>“My father did have a shred of class, thank you,” Adrian gave me a light shove, “You knew him, too.  You know he did.”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t remember much of your father,” I laid my head on Adrian’s shoulder, “That was a long time ago.”</p><p> </p><p>“Feels like just yesterday,” he kissed the top of my head, “Eden…You do know I didn’t just bring you out here for a hunt, right?”</p><p> </p><p>“I had a feeling.” Dammit.  I knew where this was headed.  I was about to be over someone’s knee and not in a sexy way.</p><p> </p><p>“You know as well as I do,” Adrian held me tighter.  And not over his knee, “The church is a dangerous place for you.  Suppose they want to do to you what they did to Hector.  Holy water could kill you.  Or maybe just as bad, it could reveal exactly what you are.  After that, you’ll wish the holy water had killed you.  Because they would torture you.  Slowly.  Painfully.  They’d probably get Hector to join them in it and you wouldn’t want to put him through that, would you?  He’s already been through enough.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, Adrian,” I cut him off, “If I wanted the lecture, I would’ve stuck around with Uncle Trevor.  Or if I wanted the guilt trip, I’m sure Hector would’ve been happy to give me that.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not giving you either one,” he assured me, “I’m merely worried for you, Eden.  I’ve had a bad feeling about this place since we arrived.  The sooner we can leave, the better.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hector’s been trying to leave for the last three months,” I told him, “I’m sure if there were a way out, it’d be found by now.”</p><p> </p><p>“But we teleported out just fine,” Adrian pointed out, “I’m sure that if all else fails, we could do that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Until they realize Hector’s not here anymore,” I argued, “Along with the five new strangers that rolled up to town.  That puts Sypha’s grandfather and her caravan in danger.  That puts targets on all of us.  That gives them a reason to come looking for us.  I don’t want to spend my life running, Adrian.  I’ve done that enough.  I want somewhere to call home.  I want somewhere where I don’t have to be afraid of who I am or what I am or who might find out.  And I’m sick of that home not having the man I love in it.”</p><p> </p><p>I could see it all over his face.  Adrian’s pity wasn’t something I needed.  Or wanted for that matter.  I didn’t like the way it sat in my stomach.  Unless rabbit blood isn’t agreeing with me.  But I didn’t need the pity, “I know, Eden.  But there are ways we go about this.  Ones that don’t have to involve you being a martyr.”</p><p> </p><p>“I have a plan,” I explained, “They have Hector’s forging medallions.  If I get a hold of his medallions, I’m sure he’ll be able to leave.  They have a tight grip around his throat and I need to get him back.  He needs to come home.  I’ve let him gallivant around the countryside of Wallachia long enough.  I can feel it in him.  He’s stronger than he was before.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’d have to be blind not to see that…”</p><p> </p><p>“Hey,” I shoved my finger in his chest, “Eyes on your own prize, thank you.  It’s not my fault that I let Hector out of my sight for two years and he comes back doubled in size.  But that’s not what I meant.  He told me that when he came here and they found out who and what he was, he realized he was trading his cage in Styria for his cage here.  Every cage has a lock, right?  And where there’s a lock, there’s a key.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sometimes, those keys are swallowed,” Adrian sighed out, “And those keys are never seen again.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, I promise you,” I growled, “I will find this key.  We have more riding on that key than getting Hector out of Echowood and away from the church.  I need that key.”</p><p> </p><p>“What do you mean, you need it?” he asked, “Or am I getting lost in metaphor?”</p><p> </p><p>“I think you might be getting lost in metaphor here,” I elaborated, “There’s more than just one lock that needs to be taken care of.  One’s a metaphorical lock.  One’s an actual, physical lock.  And if I can get that one unlocked, I’ll be fine.  And a little less on edge.  I just want Hector back, Adrian.  Is that too much to ask for?”</p><p> </p><p>“Absolutely not.” After a few moments of silence, I think Adrian pieced it together, “They put Hector in a chastity belt, didn’t they, Eden?”</p><p> </p><p>“Was it that obvious…?” I mumbled.</p><p> </p><p>“You know,” he offered, “If you were that miserable, you could’ve asked.  You know where my bedroom is.”</p><p> </p><p>“I appreciate it,” I cuddled into him, “But it’d be too awkward with us.  You’re like a brother to me, Adrian.  I don’t think I’d be able to get off with you.  No matter how good you were.  It’s not that I’d have a problem with casual sex.  My god, I used to whore myself out for a hot meal.  It just…It wouldn’t be right if it were you and me.”</p><p> </p><p>“You make a valid point,” Adrian agreed, “I’m sure that once you get Hector’s chastity belt off, your next orgasm will put you back into sorts again.”</p><p> </p><p>“God, I hope so,” I moped.  But then, the thoughts of what that’s going to be like came into my head.  And a dirty smile crept across my face, “It’s a shame.”</p><p> </p><p>“What’s a shame?”</p><p> </p><p>“We just finished rebuilding the Belmont estate,” I smirked, “And it’s going to have to be rebuilt again.”</p><p> </p><p>“Why’s that?”</p><p> </p><p>“Because I’m not going easy on him,” I giggled a bit, “And I sure as fuck hope he’s not going easy on me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Very nice, Eden,” Adrian laughed with me, “Well, I can’t say I’m not impressed.  If anything, I’d be proud if you brought the house down with one night with Hector again.”</p><p> </p><p>“It will not be pretty,” I promised, “It will be dirty and messy and tragic and beautiful.  I need to get to that church, Adrian.  And I need to do it as soon as possible.”</p><p> </p><p>“You really think there’s something sinister going on?” he asked.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t think,” I got up, “I know there is.  They’re afraid of what they don’t understand.  And if they can’t control it, they think it’s an act against God.  And one would think that if a dhampir were to walk into their house of worship, it’d mar me in one way or another.  Yet, nothing happened.  I was perfectly fine.  I don’t understand it.  And sitting through their Sunday service…Oh my god, Adrian…I think I’d prefer actual hell over that.”</p><p> </p><p>“That bad?”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, god, yes,” I rolled my eyes, “It made my skin crawl.”</p><p> </p><p>“You sat through church today,” Adrian looked at me strange, “How?”</p><p> </p><p>“I fell sleep with my eyes open,” I admitted, “Hector woke me up when it was all over.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s my girl,” he took my hand, “We should probably go back to Echowood before someone realizes we’re gone.”</p><p> </p><p>“Good idea,” I approved, “Are you going back to the speakers?”</p><p> </p><p>“Where else would we go?”</p><p> </p><p>“I know where I’m going.” And it wasn’t back to the speakers, “I’ll catch up with you later.”</p><p> </p><p>“Be careful, Eden,” Adrian threw his arms around me, “I want to be able to return to the castle with you and Hector.  Do you understand?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” I kissed his cheek, “I’ll be back tonight.  Promise.”</p><p> </p><p>And just like that, Adrian and I parted ways in the blink of an eye.  It’s not like we were very far from each other.  I knew where I wanted to be.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t in a brick building with a caravan of speakers and my uncle.  It was where my other home was.  It was above an old teashop.  It was in the arms of a forgemaster, whether the local clergy wanted to admit it or not.  And his home was in the heart of a little dhampir that needed her man back.  Whether they liked it or not.</p><p> </p><p>Although, when I got to Hector’s house, Hector was nowhere to be found.  But his bed was big enough for the two of us.  Or big enough for one tired and very full Eden to take a quick nap.  I crawled onto the bed and shut my eyes.  Just for a little while.  Just until my stomach stopped feeling huge.  Just until the rabbits’ blood holds me over and puts me back on an even kilter.  Then, I can wake up and everything will be ok again.  I buried my face in the pillows, taking in the smell of lavender and black tea…and sunflowers…and iron…I liked this smell. </p><p> </p><p>A little while later, I felt something in my shoulder blades.  A face nuzzling into them.  It could only be one person.  And if it were anyone else, they’d be meeting the angry end of my elbow.  But I knew better.  I knew who lays at my back, “Tired, my love?”</p><p> </p><p>“A little,” I grumbled into the pillow, “I think I ate too much earlier.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve seen you eat, Eden,” Hector teased, “I have no idea where you put it.”</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t have that kind of food earlier,” I clarified, “Five rabbits.  One rabbit would’ve been plenty, but I decided to glut myself today.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he moved me down and into his chest, “It’ll be alright.  Just give it a little time for it to settle and you’ll feel better.  In the meantime, why don’t you lay with me for a while?”</p><p> </p><p>“My pleasure,” I shut my eyes again, not wanting to be anywhere else.  But I knew better.  This wasn’t going to last for much longer, “Hector…”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, Eden?” Hector ran his hand through my hair, “What is it?”</p><p> </p><p>“I need to go back to the church,” I whined.</p><p> </p><p>“Why?” he pouted, “Why do you have to go back to the church?  We have everything we need right here.  Why would you want to ruin it?”</p><p> </p><p>“Because,” I filled him in, “If I get a better layout of the church, I can break us free.  And I can figure out where your medallions are and get us all out of here.  If you walk out of here with a horde of night creatures behind you, they’re going to leave you alone.  They wouldn’t dare touch the night creatures.  That’s the reason why they’re afraid of your forging abilities, Hector.  Because you could overpower them at any moment.”</p><p> </p><p>“But so could you,” Hector pointed out, “You have night creatures, too.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know,” I tried my best to forget that, but maybe it’s like my dhampir powers.  The more I lean into them, the more I can control them.  And the easier things get for me, “This is just a step forward.  Trust me, Hector.  Trust that I know what I’m doing.  Then, once it’s all over, it’ll be just you and me and the wildflowers.”</p><p> </p><p>“Wildflowers?” he sat up, giving me strange looks, “Where did the wildflowers come from?”</p><p> </p><p>“A little daydream sin during church this morning,” I confessed, kissing his cheek, “Does that make me a naughty little sinner?”</p><p> </p><p>“I love you, Eden,” Hector sighed out, “I love you so much.”</p><p> </p><p>“I love you more.”</p><p> </p><p>“I wish there was something we could do to show that,” he held me tight, “Maybe…”</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe what?” I could already feel myself drifting back to sleep.  If I’m not careful, I may just call it a night right here, right now.  But that would mean leaving the Father to his devices.  I couldn’t do that.</p><p> </p><p>“You may not be able to do much for me…”</p><p> </p><p>“Damn chastity belt…” I grumbled, well aware how much I couldn’t do for him.</p><p> </p><p>“But,” Hector purred in my ear, “Maybe I could…Please you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Wait,” I took a second for things to process in my head, but once they did, “In the middle of the afternoon?  And on a Sunday?”</p><p> </p><p>“If you’re feeling up to it…” There it was.  There was that glint in Hector’s eye that I missed so fucking much. </p><p> </p><p>“Hector, you do love me,” I swooned, already sliding my panties off.  Let’s see how badly I can tease him, “Are you sure a good little boy like you should be pleasing a dirty sinner like me?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m human, not a saint,” Hector assured me, planting a gentle kiss on the inside of my thigh.  And here I thought I was the one teasing him, “Besides, if this is what makes me a sinner, then God’s not watching closely enough.  Now, would you like me to please you, Eden?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes…” I knew what waited for me.  I knew what Hector’s mouth was capable of.  And his tongue knew exactly what spots to hit and which order to hit them in.  My hands tangled themselves up in his hair, forcing him a little deeper.  I could already feel it.  That deep pit in my stomach…He could stay down there for a while.  I wouldn’t have a problem with it, “Hector…”</p><p> </p><p>“You call for me?” Hector came up for air, giving me a little time to recover.</p><p> </p><p>“I wish I could do something for you,” I whimpered, “But…”</p><p> </p><p>“Shh…” he put a finger up to my lips, “No need for that, my love.  Now, with your permission, I’d like to continue.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok,” I laid back and let Hector go back to what he was doing.  And doing wonderfully, if I might add.  After a few hours, a few moans, and the feeling in my legs completely gone, I knew it’d have to come to an end eventually.  But I didn’t want it to stop. </p><p> </p><p>“Eden…” Hector came back up, “My jaw hurts.  Do you think I could take a break?”</p><p> </p><p>“You’ve done more than enough, my love,” I allowed, completely and utterly spent in a pool of my own sweat, “Thank you, Hector.  You have no idea how badly I needed something like that.”</p><p> </p><p>“I have a feeling,” he kissed the inside of my thigh one last time, “Believe me.  I know how you feel.”</p><p> </p><p>“Soon, ok?” I promised, “I’ll make sure that belt gets taken off and burned.”</p><p> </p><p>“Bless you.”</p><p> </p><p>Knock, knock.</p><p> </p><p>“Shit…” I grumbled, “You weren’t expecting company, were you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Do I ever expect company?” Hector resituated himself, wiping his mouth off, “Shit…If it’s anyone from the church…”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll teleport out of here as quick as I can.”</p><p> </p><p>“Good girl,” Hector cracked the door, “Oh…Alucard…Come in.  I wasn’t expecting to see you.”</p><p> </p><p>“I had a feeling you’d know where Eden ran off to,” Adrian peeked over Hector’s shoulder, “But I see she didn’t run anywhere.  Am I interrupting something?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” I pouted, “We were busy.”</p><p> </p><p>“How’d you know where I lived?” Hector wondered.</p><p> </p><p>“I didn’t,” Adrian explained, “I found your house by smell.  I figured Eden’s scent would be all over it.  And…Well…I think I could smell her from a mile away at this point.”</p><p> </p><p>“We could’ve had worse walk in on us, Hector,” I assured him, “Just think.  It could’ve been Uncle Trevor on the other side of the door finding me like this.”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t think Trevor would’ve been nearly as understanding,” Adrian smirked, “I see the teashop’s still standing, Eden.”</p><p> </p><p>“I never said we were having sex, did I?” I argued, “But is everything ok?  There’s no way you stopped by just to say hi.  Or to interrupt.”</p><p> </p><p>“Merely curious if you heard anything since you’ve been out,” Adrian wondered, “Either one of you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Can’t say I have,” Hector told him, “Most of the church is abuzz about Eden coming tonight.”</p><p> </p><p>“I think Eden already came tonight…” So, now, Adrian’s got jokes?  That’s nice.</p><p> </p><p>“Four times, if you really wanted to know,” I jabbed, “What can I say?  Hector’s a good boy.  And he’s good at what he does.”</p><p> </p><p>“Things I didn’t need to know, Eden.” He started it.  I finished it.  And I finished nicely.</p><p> </p><p>“But we haven’t heard anything,” I shrugged, “What about you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Nothing but the night hordes hiding in the swamps,” Adrian sat next to me, “I’m sure you already knew about them, didn’t you, Eden?”</p><p> </p><p>“They’re not going to attack tonight,” I promised, “They won’t move without my order.”</p><p> </p><p>“You need to be careful tonight,” he demanded, “One wrong move, one single word out of place, and…”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, yeah,” I rolled my eyes, “Torches and pitchforks would be a blessing compared to what they’d be giving me.  And likely everyone else, too.  I know, Adrian.  I have it covered.  I’ll be fine.  In fact, I was just about to leave.”</p><p> </p><p>“Our way or theirs?”</p><p> </p><p>“Theirs,” I knew what he meant.  Would I teleport to the church or would I walk there?  As handy as teleportation is, right now, it’s probably not the best option.</p><p> </p><p>“Eden,” Hector sat on the other side of me.  Instinctually, I curled into him, “Are you going unprotected?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” I nodded, “I know you’re worried, too, Hector, but don’t worry.  I don’t need to walk in there with a weapon.  I <em>am </em>a weapon.  Even without my dhampir powers backing me up.  I have it handled.  I appreciate your concern, but even if I walked in there with the Morningstar on my hip, that’d be a dead giveaway, too.  I’m sure the church knows who owns the Morningstar.  Or at least which family is in possession of it.  No one holds onto a supernatural whip like that without someone knowing about it.  But I promise.  I’ll be fine.  It’s just going to be a quick walk around the church for the sake of getting to know it better.  I’ll be back before bedtime.”</p><p> </p><p>“If it didn’t make me nauseous,” Adrian admitted, “I’d join you.  Just in case you needed some backup.”</p><p> </p><p>“Our two best fighters don’t need to be captured by the church,” Hector stopped him, “Especially our overpowered fighters.  You two don’t need to be under their control.  It’s bad enough they have me.”</p><p> </p><p>“They won’t for long,” I gave him a quick kiss, “Now, if you’ll excuse me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Good luck, Eden,” Adrian helped me onto my feet.</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you…”</p><p> </p><p>Because God knows I’m going to need it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Church</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Alright, alright.  I know.  I’m late.  I’m also incredibly behind in other ways and have a three year old to keep an eye on, so here we are.  I’m going to shut up now and make sure the little guy’s not getting into shenanigans, k?  Love you! x</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Well…Here goes nothing.  As much as I didn’t want to, I needed to go back to that church.  It felt weird to say I had a date with the Father, but in a way, I did.  Not like the old priest I used to see back when…Let’s just say it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve made a sinner out of a man of the cloth.  But I don’t think I could get the Father here to succumb to the deadly sin of lust quite as easily as I swayed that one.  Apparently, telling him I was a Belmont after the fact didn’t sit well with him.  Is it wrong of me to love it?  Because he was one of my favorite clients. </p><p> </p><p>He didn’t come back, though.  He told me constantly how much I was going to hell and that I was an agent of Satan himself.  That was the kind of shit I could let roll off my back.  I hope he’s doing ok, wherever he is.  Maybe he ended up excommunicated, too.  Something tells me that paying a prostitute that also happens to be an excommunicated Belmont and a dhampir whore out of the collection plate was…Not exactly a way to get on God’s good side.  Maybe we could meet up in hell for a good, old-fashioned I told you so.</p><p> </p><p>Still, I had to go back to that church.  I needed a layout in my head and I needed to know where he could possibly be hiding Hector’s forging medallions.  It’d be wonderful if I could use my street rat instincts that have been passed down for many a generation to casually steal them back.  At the very least, I’ll know where to teleport in when no one else was here.  So, I’ll have that going for me.</p><p> </p><p>Such a shame that a beautiful building like this one housed such an evil.  I know.  Most people would say there’d be no way evil lived here.  Especially the almost too good folks around here.  But…Come on.  I’m an excommunicated dhampir.  I can walk through that door and not feel a single thing.  No bursting into flames.  No searing internal pain.  And aren’t dhampirs and vampires alike supposed to burst into flames when entering a house of God?  Apparently, not this one.  Either God has special plans for me or this “church” was total bullshit.  I’m leaning toward the bullshit.</p><p> </p><p>A beautiful building on the outside…Dark, sinister, and evil on the inside.  Like the worst piece of pastry.  But I digress.  I needed to take a bite here.  No matter how bad it tasted.  I had the purest of intentions when I stood at the church’s threshold.  The shit I do for you, Hector.  I needed to set him free.  All of us, really.  I have a feeling they’re not going to let us just walk out the front gates of town.  I could manage, though.  It’s just a quick trip in and out.  At least it should be anyway.  I had no intentions of spending all night here.  There aren’t any intentions about it.  I am not spending all night here. </p><p> </p><p>“Hello, Brother Albert,” I smiled politely, hoping I’d be able to score points with him.  He still didn’t trust me.  I could practically smell it on him.  And he’s right not to trust me, given what and who I am. </p><p> </p><p>“Hello, Miss Eden,” he greeted me, giving me a little nod, “Please.  Come in.  Would you care to see the Father?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, please,” I walked in, appreciating the invitation, “I’d be happy to.”</p><p> </p><p>“Wait here,” Brother Albert left to fetch me the Father.</p><p> </p><p>But I needed to go to my actual happy place.  When I walked in, my body started to feel kind of tingly.  I didn’t understand it, but maybe there was a pure energy here.  Was it me?  Wouldn’t that just be the massive irony here?  I’d be able to walk out of here with a certain smugness in my heart.  And nothing would make myself and my ancestors alike happier.  Granted, I hated being here in the first place, but for Hector, it’s worth it.  I need to get us out of here as soon as humanly possible.  Don’t you worry, my love.  Like you always told me.  Soon…</p><p> </p><p>“Hello, Eden,” the Father joined me, “I hope you haven’t been waiting long.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hello, Father,” I curtseyed, “I haven’t been here long.  Maybe a couple minutes.  It’s not a problem.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s good,” he offered me his hand.  Am I supposed to be kissing his ring?  Because I always thought that was reserved for someone a little higher up the food chain than a Father, “Shall we begin our tour?”</p><p> </p><p>Ok…He’s not asking me to kiss his ring.  This went against my better judgment, but I took his hand and kept the smile on my face.  The only thing running through my mind was that priest I turned into a sinner.  If I wasn’t so worried about the judgment that would definitely be cast down on me courtesy of my uncle, I’d tell him that little anecdote.  I’m sure he’d get the same kick out of it that I did.</p><p> </p><p>“Please.” I was a woman on a mission.  I took a mental note of every inch of this place as we entered the sanctuary.  Really and truly, under any other circumstances, this place was a gorgeous piece of architecture.  After rebuilding the family estate for the last few years, I’ve learned to appreciate a well-built building.  I knew every little bit of what went into something like this.  My poor hands.  Thank God for my accelerated healing or it’d show on my poor hands.  Or maybe I should be thanking Godbrand for that.  No.  Fuck him.</p><p> </p><p>“Well?” the Father asked, “What do you think?  Truly remarkable, don’t you think?”</p><p> </p><p>“It is,” I agreed, making notes of where the seats were, where the podium was, quick ways to get in and out on foot, if I had to.</p><p> </p><p>“You know, Eden,” he began, “When we first came here…You should’ve seen them.  The people of this village.  It was enough to break anyone’s heart.”</p><p> </p><p>“What do you mean?” I wondered, “What happened?”</p><p> </p><p>“This village had nearly been wiped out by night hordes,” the Father explained, “Only a few buildings were left standing.  Their church had been destroyed.  Their clergy had given their lives for their people.”</p><p> </p><p>I had a feeling some of that might have been bullshit.  Then again, I did come from a family where trusting religious officials was considered a sin.  As my mother always said, believe in God, but not the church.  And I always have and haven’t respectably, “I see what you mean.  And you’re sure it was the night hordes that did it?”</p><p> </p><p>“What else could have done that kind of damage?” he sat at the end of one of the pews, “Please.  Join me.”</p><p> </p><p>I could think of a certain group that could turn a people against their own village.  Something about Gresit comes to mind.  But I sat with the Father anyway, “Thank you.”</p><p> </p><p>“They were so lost…” the Father went on.  I have a strange gut instinct telling me not to trust that.  Isn’t common sense a weird thing to think about?  They may have been lost, but I don’t think they were that far gone, “So confused what to do now.”</p><p> </p><p>“I mean,” I thought it over, “Lupu was practically ash at one time.  They’ve rebuilt quite nicely.”</p><p> </p><p>“Lupu…” he scoffed, “They harbored a heretic and a witch, Eden.  That’s what destroyed their village.  It was her witchcraft.  She fell in love with pure evil and had the audacity to marry it.  Lupu will never be the same.”</p><p> </p><p>I didn’t appreciate how he spoke of Dr. Tepes.  Or Mr. Tepes, for that matter.  He truly was good once.  Although, I have a feeling telling him my uncle was partially responsible for his demise wouldn’t be too advantageous for me.  But I did my best to keep calm.  He knew nothing of her.  She was a saint, but they burned her at the stake anyway.  Fucking zealots, “And here?”</p><p> </p><p>“They needed guidance,” the Father went back to believing his own lies, “And we brought that.  Since we rebuilt the church, the night hordes stay clear.  They know that God protects this village and that they are not welcome here.  We brought the people of Echowood peace for the first time in…I don’t even know how long.  And we’ve kept the peace here.  Hector was the same way when he came here.”</p><p> </p><p>“Really?” He needed to choose his next words carefully.  I knew that given my heritage and my dhampiric nature, I wasn’t exactly getting into heaven.  So, I wouldn’t say I’m above killing a priest in the name of the man I loved.  Let’s hear exactly what you’ve done to Hector.  For once in your life, be honest and tell me what you’ve done.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve never seen a more misguided soul,” the Father sighed out, “Seeing these people suffer broke my heart.  There is no doubting that.  But Hector…Hector was a special case.  I had never seen anyone like him before.  Someone so far gone.  I couldn’t help myself.  I had to take him in.  And look at him now.  He has purpose again.  And he serves this village with a smile on his face and God’s love in his heart.”</p><p> </p><p>Little did you know, he already had purpose.  You stripped him of it.  He was a forgemaster.  And a damn good one.  He only serves this village with a smile because you force him.  He only has God’s alleged love in his heart because you forced it there.  You know nothing of him.  You don’t know a thing about who he is.  He is whoever you want him to be for the sake of self-preservation, but don’t you think for a second you know who Hector is.  He once was broken.  And even then, he thought he was broken beyond all repair.  Until a little dhampir came into his life, risked her own to save his.  Not just once.  Because of his night hordes that he forged himself, he saved my life against the forgemaster that stole my father’s death from me.  Don’t you fucking tell me who Hector is.  Whether you like it or not, he is a forgemaster…He’s my forgemaster…And the best one Wallachia has ever seen. </p><p> </p><p>“It sounds like he was really in bad shape,” I bit my tongue.</p><p> </p><p>“He was,” the Father nodded, “We gave him purpose.  Another lost soul we’ve saved from eternal darkness.  But Hector taught me something important.”</p><p> </p><p>That a blade can taste the same in any language?  That what some call magic, others call forgotten sciences?  He’s not wrong on either account, “What was that?”</p><p> </p><p>“No soul is too far gone,” he smiled a bit, “Maybe we could save you as well.”</p><p> </p><p>“Me?” Oh, no.  No, no, no.  You don’t know me, Father.  Clearly.  Otherwise I would’ve been engulfed in flames already.  I’m half vampire on my father’s side and excommunicated from the church on my mother’s, I’ve found comfort and shelter in Dracula’s castle for the last few years, and I’m currently in control of the night hordes that lurk in these swamps.  I wouldn’t exactly say I’m redeemable.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s the strangest thing,” the Father took my hand, sending the worst chills up my spine.  I could feel my teeth start to come out.  No…Eden…Relax.  Those don’t need to make an appearance.  In a church of all fucking places, “The lost seem to end up in Echowood in one way or another.  Almost as if they’re being sent here.  But when they come, they never want to leave.  And they’re always happier when they stay.  I’m sure there’s something that troubles you, my child.”</p><p> </p><p>The fact that I’m in a church and it’s still standing troubles me.  My boyfriend trying to convert me troubles me.  Him not being home for the last couple years troubles me…And ate me up inside for a while.  Suddenly having Isaac’s night horde troubles me, but I can get over that one.  So, I have a little extra firepower on my side.  I’m not going to complain about that. </p><p> </p><p>“No,” I shook my head, “I’m pretty ok these days.”</p><p> </p><p>I have my man back in my life, albeit at an abbreviated capacity because of these assholes.  I have my family with me.  Our home is healing and the Belmont family still fights another day.  I can’t complain.  But the Father refused to believe it, “Are you sure?  No one is completely free of troubles.  Something has to be worrying you.  I can see it in your eyes.”</p><p> </p><p>In the eyes of my ancestors.  Of every Belmont to have walked this earth.  You see troubles there?  I’d be shocked if you didn’t, “And what do you see, Father?”</p><p> </p><p>“Hurt…” he pointed out, “I see so much hurt in your eyes.  The same kind of hurt I saw in Hector’s eyes when he first arrived.”</p><p> </p><p>I shouldn’t be surprised.  We were hurt by the same group of bitches that ran Styria.  But Carmilla’s dead by my hand.  Striga and Morana scurried off.  As for Lenore, I’m not sure where she ended up.  I’m sure they ended up reconvening back at the castle in Styria.  And I’m sure I’m their number one enemy.  But I’d love to see them try and come near me again.  I could summon night hordes and send them off to Styria faster than they could even lift a finger.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve had a hard life, Father,” I admitted, “But I’ve come out on the other side so many times.  And with every struggle, I’ve gotten stronger.  And that’s made me resilient to my troubles.  That’s why I’m so ok now.”</p><p> </p><p>“Then, why else would you be here?” I could tell you the real answer, but I feel like you wouldn’t like it.  A distance mirror told me that Hector was here.  My heart told me to bring him home.  Back to the Belmont estate where he had a family waiting for him.  That place that if anyone were to find out a Belmont lived there, it’d likely be burned back down to the studs.  It’s a good thing we built from stone this time, “No soul is irredeemable, my child.  And that means yours, too.  I’m sure your traveling companions are no different, just as lost.”</p><p> </p><p>That’s really a hornet’s nest he didn’t want to poke at.  Between Adrian and Uncle Trevor, I’m sure they could swap some horror stories.  I knew about the scar on Adrian’s chest and I knew the one over Uncle Trevor’s eye.  And those were just one each.  Uncle Trevor’s been on his own since he was a kid and Adrian’s father was fucking Dracula.  The church killed his mother.  I doubt he’d ever step foot in here.  That’s somewhere the Father <em>really </em>didn’t want to go.  And he <em>really </em>didn’t want to poke at me.  Regular thoughts of patricide since I was four.  My mother’s semiregular breakdowns.  Us getting chased out of village after village.  When she got sick…There was plenty for the Father to latch on and exploit, but I’ll be damned if he finds any of it.</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t speak for them,” I shot him down, “But I know exactly my path, Father.  I’m not lost.”</p><p> </p><p>“If it’s alright with you,” he requested, “I’d like to meet them.  All of them.  Individually.  I remember seeing your wagon when you came into the village.  There were four of you, were there not?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes.” He saw Uncle Trevor, Sypha, Adrian, and me.  But if I remember correctly, Mari was curled up in her mother’s hip, hidden by her robes.  Good.  Let’s keep it that way.  We don’t need them getting their mitts on Mari.  Besides, Uncle Trevor would never allow it.  And…Well…I’m pretty sure Mari knows how to wield a dagger.  She’s been around night creatures since she was a baby.  She had to learn eventually…Maybe she could use better instruction these days.</p><p> </p><p>“Could you bring them to me?” the Father asked, “Please?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not making any promises,” I wasn’t going to totally lie to him.  But despite my feelings for priests, something about telling him that there is no fucking way any of them would willingly want to come here felt wrong.</p><p> </p><p>“I think they will,” he admitted, “If you ask them nicely.  If I might ask, how do you know Hector, Eden?”</p><p> </p><p>I had to be careful about how I put this.  Although…I don’t see how telling him the truth here would be so terrible.  I could keep Carmilla and the bitches three out of it, but one of us needed to be honest, “He and I were kept in the same prison once.  A long time ago.  Although, we were kept on different ends of the spectrum.  I was held in a much better place than him, but when we met…We ended up getting close while we were there, much to our captor’s dismay.  Then, we left and we’ve been close ever since.”</p><p> </p><p>“You were imprisoned?” the Father gasped, clutching his chest, “I’m sure that was difficult for you.  No matter which end of the spectrum you were on.”</p><p> </p><p>“But we got through it,” I held my ground.</p><p> </p><p>“Where were you imprisoned?”</p><p> </p><p>Styria wasn’t exactly the bright, happy, sparkling paradise they tried to sell it as, but the Father didn’t need any room to wiggle his way into my life and my so-called path to redemption, “North.  It’s not exactly an easy tale to tell, Father.  I’d rather not go into detail about it.”</p><p> </p><p>“So, you do have troubles…” Fuck.  Way to go, Eden.</p><p> </p><p>“No,” I backtracked, “I have things about my past that I’d rather keep in the past instead of wearing them like shackles.  I’ve had those once and I refuse to have them again.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok,” he let it go.  But I have a feeling it’s not that simple, “Forgive my curiosity.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s forgiven,” I caught a glimpse of a door behind the altar.  Different from the office door.  Different from the front door.  Different from the cellar door.  It had some sort of sigil carved into it.  And it had me curious, “Father…If you don’t mind me asking, what’s kept in there?”</p><p> </p><p>“In where?” he took a quick look around.</p><p> </p><p>“In there,” I pointed, “Near the altar.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s nothing,” the Father was quick to answer, “Nothing important anyway.  It’s mostly a utility closet.  A place for storage.  Where the communion wines are kept.”</p><p> </p><p>I knew for a fact that was bullshit.  I knew where the communion wines were kept.  I’ve seen that wine cellar.  I wonder what would really be in there to make him so jumpy.  Maybe something that no one is supposed to have…Well…Except for one person.  But I couldn’t let him know I was onto him, “Oh.”</p><p> </p><p>“You never answered my question before, Eden,” the Father distracted me, quickly changing the subject, “Now that you’ve seen my church, what do you think of it?  Truly something special, wouldn’t you say so?”</p><p> </p><p>“It is,” I agreed, feeling a heaviness in my head.  Maybe I should get out of here sooner than later.  Being in a church might be screwing with me more than I thought it would.  Yet, I sat here for two hours this morning and I was perfectly fine.  I didn’t understand.  Still, I shook it off as best I could.</p><p> </p><p>“Should we be expecting to see you more in here?” he wondered.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not sure about that,” I turned him down, “I don’t think we’ll be in town much longer.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hector said that, too.” I know.  He’s forced to stay here. </p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, Father,” I stood up, barely able to hold myself together.  I wasn’t expecting to get that dizzy, “The tour was greatly appreciated, but I should be getting back to my uncle.”</p><p> </p><p>“Perhaps I could meet them tomorrow morning,” the Father decided, “I’d like to see the aristocratic one first.”</p><p> </p><p>Aristocratic…?  I’m pretty sure the name Belmont is pretty aristocratic.  Until the church turned everyone against us.  At one time, the Belmonts were one of the great houses of Wallachia.  Now, we’re nothing but a black mark on her tapestry.  But as much as the Belmont family was once held as aristocracy, I had a feeling he wasn’t talking about Uncle Trevor.  But who the hell…Wait, was he talking about Adrian?</p><p> </p><p>“We’ll see,” I needed to get the fuck out of here as soon as I could.  I was starting to feel woozy, “Good night, Father.”</p><p> </p><p>“Good night, my child…”</p><p> </p><p>Once I got some fresh air and out of that church, I started to feel better…A lot better.  A <em>whole lot </em>better.  I didn’t understand.  Why did I feel so different?  Lighter…I felt so much lighter.  Like all of the things that troubled me were no longer.  Anything that had me scared just…disappeared.  As if a miserable burden was being lifted from my shoulders, I could…I could breathe again.  I didn’t know what to do with myself.  But I needed to focus.</p><p> </p><p>Why the hell would the Father want to meet with Adrian so badly?  Does he know who we are?  Even worse yet, does he know <em>what </em>we are?  No…Of course not.  We keep ourselves well hidden.  And…Even if he did, would it matter?  Would he do something about it?  Maybe not.  I didn’t understand where my good feeling was coming from, but I didn’t want it to end.  For the first time in a long time, I was truly ok.</p><p> </p><p>When I got back to where the speakers were staying, I walked in through the front door, knowing that I was already welcome here once.  I’m sure I will be again.  And there they all were.  With the exception of Hector, my whole family sat in front of the fireplace while Mari slept in her father’s lap.  Look at them…They’re so wonderful.  Even when Uncle Trevor would get under my skin while we rebuilt the house.  Even all those nights when Mari was littler than she was now where her teething would keep us all up at all hours of the night…Even every time Adrian would start a petty skirmish with Uncle Trevor.  There they were.  And I loved them all so much.</p><p> </p><p>“Hello, everyone…” I kept my voice down.  The last thing I wanted to do was wake the little one.</p><p> </p><p>“Eden…?” Sypha cranked her neck back, “Are you feeling ok?  You seem…out of it.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m fine,” I promised, “I’m….I feel…So good.”</p><p> </p><p>“Are you high?” Uncle Trevor scoffed.</p><p> </p><p>“You jest, Belmont,” Adrian checked me over, his hand on my face, “But I think she is.”</p><p> </p><p>“What?” I giggled, “No, I’m not.  I just feel good.  Is that so terrible?  I don’t even remember taking anything.  How could I be high?”</p><p> </p><p>“You’d be amazed,” Adrian cringed, “Inhalants would be the quickest way for someone like you.  When was the last time you fed, Eden?”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know,” I thought back, “Does it even matter?”</p><p> </p><p>“Here,” Adrian took my dagger and made a small incision in his arm.  Thick, dark red blood started oozing out, “It’s alright.  I promise.  It’s not going to get you hooked on human blood.”</p><p> </p><p>“Is she really supposed to feed…” Uncle Trevor gagged a bit, “Like…That?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s the quickest way to get blood into her system,” Adrian pulled me into his lap, “Unless you’re willing to open a vein, Trevor.”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t drink human…” I started feeling dizzy again.  And tired.  So very tired, “Not knowingly.  Or willingly.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know you don’t,” Adrian held his wrist up to my lips, “Fortunately, we’re not human.”</p><p> </p><p>“Adrian…” I winced, “I couldn’t…”</p><p> </p><p>“Shh…” he put his wrist in my mouth and I got a quick taste of his blood.  Oh…That’s interesting, “It’s alright, Eden.  You need to drink.  Before people around here start to understand when I call you bright eyes.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok…” I kept drinking.  I understand this is likely a one-time thing, but I wouldn’t mind having some of this on hand.  Mountain lion is good.  Squirrels are great.  Adrian…Adrian is absolutely <em>fucking incredible, </em>“Adrian…”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, Eden?” he cradled me, “Is everything alright?”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re…” I felt the warmth of his blood hit my stomach, “You’re really yummy…”</p><p> </p><p>“Whatever helps you,” Adrian kissed my forehead and took my wrist out of his mouth, “Before you end up drinking me dry, you need to get some sleep.  Ok?”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok…” I cuddled into him, “I should probably go check on…”</p><p> </p><p>“No,” he held me tighter, “You stay right here.  Once my blood takes care of you and you’re feeling better in the morning, you can go see Hector all you want.  But for now, you’re not going anywhere.  I need to keep an eye on you.  Just get some sleep, Eden.  You had a long day and some things happened to you that will be harder on your body more so than the average human.  When you wake up tomorrow, I’m sure you’ll be all better.  Ok?”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok…” I shut my eyes and cuddled into Adrian, “Good night.”</p><p> </p><p>“Good night, bright eyes,” Adrian kissed me one last time and pulled a blanket over me.  I don’t know what hit me so hard, but something got to me.  And I’d be lying if I said Adrian’s blood was the worst thing I’ve ever had.  Damn, I wanted more of that.  But the cost was too much.  I didn’t want to have to bite into his wrist again.  But he got me thinking.</p><p> </p><p>Was this really because of how much time I’ve spent in a church today?  I never felt anything the first time through.  Why is it fucking me up so badly now?  If I was so high, what did I have?  And when?  I don’t even remember eating anything since shortly after Hector and I left.  And the last time I had any blood was when Adrian and I ran through the woods.  I didn’t understand what got to me, but I’m sure I’ll find out.  Soon enough. </p><p> </p><p>The next morning, I felt the sun beating down on me through the overcast clouds.  It didn’t always feel the best, but this morning was different.  I didn’t have a problem with sun.  Other than my skin, that’s been passed off as delicate for years, burned easier than the average human.  I didn’t think much of it, but for a brief moment, I reveled in its warmth.  But I didn’t nearly have it in me to open my eyes yet.  I could still feel Adrian around me.  Sypha and Mari were making breakfast for everyone.  Everything was…Peaceful.  And if it was a dream, I wanted to stay here for just a little longer.  Even if this was a dream, where was…?</p><p> </p><p>Knock, knock.</p><p> </p><p>There he was.  I heard Uncle Trevor get up from next to me and get the door, “Hector…”</p><p> </p><p>“Hello, Trevor,” Hector greeted him, a certain nervousness in his voice, “Have you…seen Eden recently?”</p><p><br/>
“She’s here, Hector,” Adrian told him, running his fingers down my back, “She’s still asleep.”</p><p> </p><p>“Could I come in?” he asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Please,” Adrian insisted, “Besides, we need to talk.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok,” Hector came closer.  I knew that smell.  That smell would never leave me as long as I live.  And I didn’t want it to.  I felt his hand go to my cheek and his lips to my forehead, “Is she alright?”</p><p> </p><p>“She came in last night after she left the church,” Adrian began, “If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve thought she had stumbled into the woods on a patch of strong, aromatic herbs, but she was worse than that.  It was like she had been starved.  Of blood, of nutrients, I’m not sure, but she wasn’t ok.”</p><p> </p><p>“What happened?” Hector let out a little gasp.</p><p> </p><p>“We were hoping you could tell us,” Sypha came over.</p><p> </p><p>“Hector…” Uncle Trevor got nervous, “We need to know everything that’s going on in that church.  Everything since you’ve been here.  Everything since before.  What do they have and what has it done to Eden?”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. Helpless</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello, my lovelies.  How are we?  I hope we’re all doing ok.  I hope you’re doing well.  I hope you’re doing just swell.  I still love you even if you’re not, though.  That’s ok.  Sometimes, we all need a day where we’re human and take care of ourselves.  That’s important, too.  And if this is how you mellow out and find your happy place, then so be it.  I’m happy to have you here.  *chu*</p><p>But just a side note, I have an honest to god question.  By enlarge, how do we feel about modern AUs with these three?  Canon, not with Eden.  Unfortunately.  Eden’s my baby and we don’t always need to put my OCs in things.  But we were talking on my livestream last week about a modern AU for Castlevania and it was just…It’s been burning a hole in my brain for the last few days and I may need to spill it onto paper.  If you’d be down for that, I’d be more than happy to share it with you.  Now, for the real reason why we’re all here.  That’s under this.  Down there.  Go on.  You know you want to.  Love you! x</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A part of me wanted to crawl into Hector’s lap and go back to sleep.  In a perfect world, we’d both go back to sleep.  In our room.  Back at the family estate where we should be.  But we can’t have that.  Not yet anyway.  Soon, though.  But at some point, my patience is going to run out.  Even now, it’s wearing thin.  I kept my eyes closed, curious as to what Hector was going to say.  I know the church is up to some shady shit.  What else is new?</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t want to be meddling in the church this time,” Hector assured, sitting with the rest of us.  I could feel his hand on my cheek.  I missed you, too, “They’re worse than they’ve ever been.”</p><p> </p><p>“When have we ever wanted to deal with the church?” Uncle Trevor groaned, “Have we?  Sypha?  We’ve been together for a while now.  You’d know these things.”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t think so,” Sypha agreed, “I mean, other than when you and Alucard made the mistake of having a little too much one night and…”</p><p> </p><p>“Alright, Sypha,” he cut her off, “We don’t need to go down that road.”</p><p> </p><p>“He’s right,” Adrian shuddered.  I remember that night.  Uncle Trevor and Adrian were trashed and wanted to get married that night, but they wanted to do it in a nondenominational church.  Since Uncle Trevor was excommunicated and Adrian’s a dhampir.  It’s not like they’d be able to do it any other way.</p><p> </p><p>“What happened, Mama?” Oh, my dear little Mari.  So innocent.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t worry about it, Mari,” Uncle Trevor stopped her, “So, to recap, never wanted to deal with the church?”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t trust you within ten feet of a priest, Trevor,” Sypha giggled to herself.</p><p> </p><p>“I wouldn’t either,” the Elder laughed, too.  I feel like I’m missing something.</p><p> </p><p>“You whip <em>one </em>priest’s eye out,” Uncle Trevor brushed them off, “And you never hear the end of it.”</p><p> </p><p>I’m going to need some context on that one later.  Because it’s not every day someone get’s their eye <em>whipped </em>out.  Interesting.  Sypha came down from her giggling fit, “But it was well worth it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes,” the Elder confirmed, “I still can’t thank you enough for that, Trevor…”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t mention it.”</p><p> </p><p>“So, about the church,” Adrian brought it back, “What are they doing, Hector?”</p><p> </p><p>“They don’t know about Eden,” Hector began, putting me and I’m sure everyone else in the room at ease, “But they are suspicious.  Of all of you, not just her.”</p><p> </p><p>“Why?” Sypha wondered.</p><p> </p><p>“Because you suddenly showed up out of nowhere,” he explained, “People don’t actively come here.  They end up here.  It’s when they come here that throws everyone off.  As for what may have thrown Eden off…There’s an incense they burn in the church.  I’ve seen it myself.  It wouldn’t surprise me if Eden got high from it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Does it work on the average human?” Adrian asked, his embrace tightening around me.</p><p> </p><p>“I think it does,” Hector went on, “In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if that’s how they control the congregation.”</p><p> </p><p>“How do you know about it?” Uncle Trevor sounded angry.  I’m sure he’s just looking to get to the bottom of things, so we can go home.</p><p> </p><p>“They’ve asked me to burn it before,” Hector cringed, “They gave me a small satchel, said to light it on fire and wait for it to finish burning before I snuffed the flame out.”</p><p> </p><p>“Can you get your hands on some of it?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’ll be a while before they hold another service,” Hector thought it over, “But if I had something to replace it with, I’m sure I could get some.  Why?”</p><p> </p><p>“Sypha?” Uncle Trevor asked, “How good is your magical knowledge?”</p><p> </p><p>“Between Alucard and me,” she figured, “We’ll be able to find out what everything is.”</p><p> </p><p>“And me?” Mari chimed in.</p><p> </p><p>“No, sweetheart,” Sypha hushed her, “The more you can stay out of this, the better.  I appreciate the help, but you don’t need to get involved.”</p><p> </p><p>“Your mother’s right, Mari,” Adrian took Sypha’s side, no doubt breaking Mari’s heart.  And shocking me a bit.  Usually, Mari had Adrian wrapped so tight around her little finger. </p><p> </p><p>“They don’t know about Mari,” I started waking up, “As far as the Father knows, it’s just the four of us.”</p><p> </p><p>“Eden…” Hector pulled me out of Adrian’s lap and into his own.</p><p> </p><p>“Hi, Hector,” I looked up at him, cuddling into his shoulder, “I’m sorry I didn’t come back last night.  I needed to come here…for some reason…”</p><p> </p><p>“How are you feeling?” he worried, kissing my forehead.</p><p> </p><p>“I got a bitch of a headache…” I reported, “Hey, Sypha…Think you could help me out?  I don’t have that kind of energy in me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course,” Sypha got to work fixing the pain in my head while Hector held me still.</p><p> </p><p>“Eden,” Hector hugged me tighter, “I’m so sorry.  You shouldn’t have come here.”</p><p> </p><p>“Neither should you,” I shut my eyes, letting Sypha’s magic set in.</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t you worry, my love,” he held my hand, “It’ll be ok.  I promise.  I’ll make sure you’ll be ok.  What do you remember from last night?”</p><p> </p><p>I thought back long and hard to last night.  There were a couple gaps, but a few things stood out clearly, “I remember talking with the Father.  He said he wanted to meet with all of you.  He told me to tell you last night, but last night happened and here we are.”</p><p> </p><p>“I fucking hate priests…” Uncle Trevor kicked his feet up, holding his face in his hands, “Even on a good day.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know you do, Trevor,” Sypha finished up, “I don’t think any of us are overly fond of them.”</p><p> </p><p>“I wouldn’t mind feeding them to the rogue vampires that wander the countryside,” Adrian chuckled to himself.</p><p> </p><p>“Look at that,” Uncle Trevor gave him a pop to the shoulder, “We can agree on something.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s funny you say that, Adrian,” I felt tired again.  I’m sure that’s just from me waking up, “Because out of all of us, he wanted to meet you first.”</p><p> </p><p>“Me?” Adrian looked at me strange, “Why me?”</p><p> </p><p>“How am I supposed to know?”</p><p> </p><p>“He knows you two are close,” Hector confessed, “Maybe he thinks that if he can get through to Alucard, it’ll make you much more responsive to whatever he’d need you for.”</p><p> </p><p>“Dare we even go?” Sypha asked.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s obviously a trap,” Uncle Trevor pointed out.</p><p> </p><p>“But…” I couldn’t believe this.  If I didn’t know any better, I’d think Adrian was giving this honest consideration, “Perhaps it’d be better to get close.  If we get close, we’ll have a better view of what they could be doing.”</p><p> </p><p>“Or we’ll be sweeping you and Eden up from the square,” Uncle Trevor argued, “We’re not doing that.  There has to be another better way of doing this.”</p><p> </p><p>“Grandpa…” Sypha turned to the Elder with fear in her eyes, “If we go to that church, will you make sure Mari stays here?  And keep her safe?”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course,” the Elder promised, “I’d protect her with my life the same way I would you, Sypha.  You don’t need to worry about her.”</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t help it, though…” Sypha smiled at her little girl curled up in her grandfather’s lap.</p><p> </p><p>“You need to be safe, too, Mama!” Mari whined, tears already welling up, “You <em>and </em>Daddy…”</p><p> </p><p>“She’ll be ok, Mari,” Uncle Trevor assured her, “You’ve seen your mother and me fight together many times.  You know we’ll be ok.”</p><p> </p><p>“And if they’re not watching each other’s back,” Adrian stepped in.  He always did have a little soft spot for Mari, “That’s why I keep watch, too.  I’m going to go to the church and see why he’d want me.  I’ll be back as soon as possible.”</p><p> </p><p>“Uncle Alucard, no…” The floodgates broke as Mari latched herself to Adrian’s leg, “I don’t want you to go.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll be alright,” Adrian got to her level, “I know you didn’t see Eden when she came back last night, but I don’t think I’ll be in the same state.  And if she could survive being in that church, I have no doubt that I will, too.  I’ll be back before it’s time to tuck you in tonight.  Ok?”</p><p> </p><p>Mari didn’t like it.  She learned young not to trust religious officials.  And I can’t blame her.  But she let him go, “Ok…Be careful.”</p><p> </p><p>“I will,” he kissed her little cheek and headed out. </p><p> </p><p>“Hold on,” Uncle Trevor thought, “Did Alucard just throw himself into a suicide mission and not even consult us on it?”</p><p> </p><p>“It looks that way,” Sypha laid her head on Uncle Trevor’s shoulder, “But we can trust that he’ll be able to handle whatever the Father says without giving too much away, right?”</p><p> </p><p>“God, I hope so….”</p><p> </p><p>“Maybe,” I sat up a little better, the pain in my head fully subsided, “While the Father’s distracted, I could go in and grab Hector’s forging medallions.”</p><p><br/>“Excuse me?” Hector perked up, “What did you just say?”</p><p> </p><p>“I know where they are,” I may not have been able to remember much from last night, but I remembered a door near the altar.  When I mentioned it, the Father got nervous and passed it off as a utility closet.  It wouldn’t surprise me if some special objects were kept in that closet.  And those special objects would be Hector’s medallions, “At least, I think I know where they are.  I’m sick of being here already.  We’re getting out of here.  All of us.”</p><p> </p><p>“Eden,” he worried, “I know you want out of here, but…If you came back that bad last night, I don’t know if I want you going back to that church.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll be fine,” I snuck in a quick kiss, “I’ll be in and out.  There’s a reason I asked for a tour of the church, Hector.  If I have a better vision of where I’m teleporting, it’ll be quicker for me to move around.  I think I have this handled.”</p><p> </p><p>“You know,” Hector let out a heavy, exasperated sigh with a smile on his face, “You truly are something remarkable, Eden.  You exhaust the hell out of me, but I love you.”</p><p> </p><p>“I love you, too,” I curled into him.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t like it,” Uncle Trevor put his foot down.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t either,” Sypha agreed.</p><p> </p><p>“But like I said,” I reiterated, “I’ll be in and out.  Uncle Trevor, it won’t be much different than when we stole communion wine.  Only this time, it’ll be Hector’s forging medallions and we’ll all be able to go home.”</p><p> </p><p>“We’re not letting you run back into that fire, Eden,” Uncle Trevor argued, “You’re staying away from that church for the time being.  Until we can figure out some sort of plan that won’t end with an actual fire.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not going to be on actual fire,” I promised, “Like I said, it’ll be a quick in and out.  I know where they are.  I’ll be able to get in there and get out and be back in time for dinner.”</p><p> </p><p>“Before you go,” Hector took my hand, “I want you to come with me.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok,” I wasn’t sure where this was going, but I trusted Hector with my life, “Where are you taking me?”</p><p> </p><p>“You’ll see.” The smile on his face put me at ease.  Alright.  At least I know it’s somewhere safe.  And…Well, he did have me in quite the compromising position yesterday.  I really wouldn’t mind if we did that one again.  Not in the least bit.</p><p> </p><p>“Will you be back later, Eden?” Uncle Trevor asked, a bit more defensive than normal.  I know he’s never really been Hector’s biggest fan, but he’s won over his niece <em>and </em>his daughter.  And if anyone can protect me against the church right now, it’d be Hector.</p><p> </p><p>“I think so,” I assumed, “Back before dinner.  Or at least back before Adrian.”</p><p> </p><p>‘Not for nothing, Eden,” Sypha winced, “But I kind of hope Alucard comes back before you do.”</p><p> </p><p>I saw where she was coming from and couldn’t agree more, “Alright.”</p><p> </p><p>“We’ll be back,” Hector led me out the door, “Shall we, my love?”</p><p> </p><p>“Really, Hector,” I jumped on his back, “Where are we going?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s a surprise.” And since I was on his back now, wherever Hector went, I went, too.  Although, as we got closer and closer to the village gates, Hector put me back on the ground and had my hand instead.  Not that I’m complaining. </p><p> </p><p>However, I wasn’t hoping much for company at the gate, “Hello, Hector.”</p><p> </p><p>“Brother Albert,” Hector cringed internally, his grip tightening on my hand.</p><p> </p><p>“Hello, Miss Eden,” Brother Albert nodded to me, “Another stroll through the woods then?”</p><p> </p><p>“If that’s alright with you,” Hector asked.</p><p> </p><p>Brother Albert looked me over, “It’s fine.  Enjoy yourselves.  I’ll see you back here, though, yes?”</p><p> </p><p>“Of course,” Hector’s grip got even tighter.  He’s lucky I have accelerated healing or he might be breaking my fingers.  Although, when we got a far enough distance away, I would’ve thought he’d relax a little.  It’s almost as if he got even worse when we made it through the woods.</p><p> </p><p>“Hector?” I didn’t like this.  I don’t like having to worry about him when he’s right here, “Are you ok?”</p><p> </p><p>“Is it me,” he wondered, “or did Brother Albert seem unusually calm about us leaving?”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know,” I shrugged, “I don’t know him as well as you do.”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t like that,” Hector shuddered, “Something’s…Something’s not right.  I know something’s been not right here, but something is really not right.  First, it was you coming back high after your tour of the church.  Now, all of a sudden, Brother Albert doesn’t even ask me when I’m going to be back?  Or why I’m bringing you along?  Or even make mention of the night creatures in these woods?  I might just be paranoid, but something doesn’t feel right, Eden.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m telling you,” I wrapped myself around his waist, “We’re fine.  Or we will be anyway.  And soon.  All I need to do is grab your medallions and we’ll be on our way.  No fuss.  No muss.  And if they even try to come near us, I can always summon the night creatures in the woods to cover our tracks and defend around the outside of the family estate.  See?  Easy.  Now, if you can pull the uncomfortable stick out of your ass today, what are we doing out here?”</p><p> </p><p>Hector held me tighter and pressed a soft kiss on my forehead, “You truly are remarkable, Eden.  Beyond remarkable.  I love you so much.  And that’s why I figured you could stand coming out here.  I thought you might want some breakfast.”</p><p> </p><p>“We could’ve gone to the teashop for that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Not <em>your </em>kind of breakfast,” he smirked a bit, well aware of how my body worked.</p><p> </p><p>“Hector, I fucking love you.” What can I say?  The man understood me. </p><p> </p><p>“I love you, too,” Hector got the door to the little cabin for me and sure enough, he had three foxes draining for me.  Oh, god, I could taste them now, “I caught these a little while ago.  I figured three should do it for you, right?”</p><p> </p><p>“Three should do it,” I took them down from their rack, “But I prefer a fresher kill.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry, darling,” he winced, “But it was either that or good luck in finding any blood around here without getting caught.”</p><p> </p><p>“This is fine, Hector,” I promised, “I was kind of fucking with you anyway.”</p><p> </p><p>Hector shoved his finger in my face, “You’re a little shit.”</p><p> </p><p>“Have you just met me?” I could almost taste the blood in my mouth…I could almost feel it running down my throat.  I could stand a good drink, “Do you not know what my last name is?  We’re kind of notorious for that sort of thing.”</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Bite. </em>
</p><p> </p><p>Oh, ew…That wasn’t right.  No…Fox is normally good.  It usually tastes sweet, but just a little gamey.  This tastes like biting into an old sock.  Maybe it’s just this particular fox.  I grabbed another one off the rack and bit into that one instead.  Only to nearly throw up yet again.  Ok, what the hell is this?  Maybe because it’s not fresh?  That’s probably it.  But my disgust caught Hector by surprise.</p><p> </p><p>“Eden?” he asked, “What’s wrong?  Is it not good enough?”</p><p> </p><p>“My tastebuds must be off,” I thought, tossing the fox onto the table, “It’s not that I don’t appreciate the effort, Hector.  Really, I do.  I absolutely love you for going through the trouble for me, but…It’s just not hitting right today.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry,” Hector winced, “Is there anything else I can get for you instead?”</p><p> </p><p>“I got it,” I stepped outside.  Let’s see…What do I have to pick from?  I wasn’t going after birds.  Something about that felt wrong.  But the unsuspecting squirrel in the brush would do.  As quietly as I could, I stalked my prey.  Squirrel has been my favorite since I was young.  There’s no way any squirrel could ever be bad.  I could still hear Adrian in the back of my head explaining to me the intricacies of animal blood.  The smaller the creature, the richer the blood.  And right now, my body could stand the richer blood.  Hopefully, little friend, you’ll taste better than the fox.  A girl like me needs a fresher kill.</p><p> </p><p>But the second I stepped on a wrong twig, that squirrel knew exactly what kind of hell awaited it.  It knew that death would soon be approaching and its blood would make a home in the pit of my belly.  Sorry, little squirrel.  You are meeting your demise shortly.  I chased after it.  Why the hell can’t I keep up with you?  Any other day, I’d already have that squirrel in my hands, hanging by its tail and its little paws flailing in the breeze.  But I couldn’t keep up with it.  I only got more and more tired.  Maybe it’s because I’m in need of a fix.</p><p> </p><p>I managed to maneuver a quick trap and caught the little shit.  Finally…Some good breakfast.  Don’t get me wrong.  I’m sure that if Hector were to take me to the teashop, it would’ve been something good there, too.  But I needed a little squirrel blood to set my body back to rights.  I watched my little breakfast flail until it had itself so worked up that its heart gave out.  Thank you, my little squirrely friend.  Your death will not be in vain.  It will be in my stomach.  I felt my fangs come out and I took a big bite into the squirrel’s neck.</p><p> </p><p>Only to spit its blood back out again.  Why?  Why is this happening?  Why do even my favorite bloods taste like trash that’s been left out in the sun all day?  When I got back to the cabin, all I could do was puke everything up.  I didn’t like this.  I didn’t like this one bit.  But then, I got to thinking.  And I see I wasn’t the only one thinking.  Because even after I was done throwing up, Hector came to my side.</p><p> </p><p>“Eden?” the back of his hand found my forehead, “Are you feeling ok?”</p><p> </p><p>“Are my eyes glowing?” I asked.</p><p> </p><p>“No.  Why?”</p><p> </p><p>“Do I feel feverish?”</p><p> </p><p>“A bit, yeah.”</p><p> </p><p>I dug deep inside me to find that place that got me to transform.  Where I could feel free and take my raven form, but…Nothing happened.  I’m sure this is a lack of blood thing.  I’ll be fine.  But then, I thought of Hector’s cozy loft above the teashop.  And where the speakers were.  And our wagon.  And yet, here I stayed.  I didn’t want to admit it, but I had a feeling I knew what was going on here.</p><p> </p><p>“Eden?” Hector wondered, “Are you ok?”</p><p> </p><p>There was no other way I could possibly say this, “I don’t have my powers.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. Enlightment</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hi, friends!  Happy May.  Happy almost one week until the final season comes out.  You can bet your sweet ass that in exactly ten days, I will be disconnected from my computer, balled up on my bed, and watching it all.  Unless I got the babies that day.  Then, I may cry.  Because I don’t want to pass up Castlevania for episode after episode after episode after episode of Team Umizoomi.  I would much rather the hell that I know Castlevania’s going to put me through than to hear the phrase “Super shapes!” on a goddamn loop.  I would rather an hour or two of Trevor and Alucard trying to out sass each other.  Anyway, here.  Have a new chapter.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“What do you mean?” Hector was just as surprised as I was.  Never in my life did I ever live without having my dhampir powers.  This had to be a fluke of some sort.  I focused inward to the best of my ability.  But I couldn’t feel…Anything.  No magic.  No heightened senses.  I had nothing.</p><p> </p><p>“I mean,” I tired forming a quick plasma ball.  On any other day, that would’ve come so easily to me.  Even on my worst day when all my energy was gone, I could muster up enough to throw a quick plasma ball (If she found a pair of metalworking gloves somewhere around the house, Mari and I would use plasma to play a game of catch.).  Yet even that wasn’t coming to me, “It’s gone.  I have no power.”</p><p> </p><p>He was at a total loss for words.  And I couldn’t blame him, “Maybe you just need some more…”</p><p> </p><p>“No.” I’ve never had this feeling before.  I’m completely powerless, “It’s not a blood thing, Hector.  I think I’m…completely and one hundred percent…I’m human.”</p><p> </p><p>I didn’t want to admit it, but I was just as human as Hector was.  I had human vision…Human hearing…Human limitations.  And I didn’t like it.  But bless him.  Hector tried to be the optimist, “At least it’ll throw off any suspicion with the church.”</p><p> </p><p>“But I’m powerless,” I didn’t like this.  I needed to get to the bottom of this.  And I had a feeling I knew just where to go, “Come on.  We got somewhere we need to be.”</p><p> </p><p>“Where are we going?”</p><p> </p><p>“My least favorite place in the world.” And the more I stayed in Echowood, the more I loathed this fucking church. </p><p> </p><p>Hector and I began our long, eternal walk back toward town.  I don’t remember the walk through the woods being this treacherous…or this exhausting.  Was that the dhampir in me taking care of my exhaustion?  And now that I’m not a dhampir anymore, I’m really starting to feel those very human limitations.  Granted, at one time, I would’ve killed to feel this.  To be completely human.  For no one to have any reason to come after me.  But this…This was worse than I ever thought it’d be.  This was what my mother went through, what my entire family went through.  And I hated every second of it.</p><p> </p><p>“Hector,” I leaned against him, finding a sweet feeling of relief in seeing those gates, “I’m so tired.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry, Eden,” he held my cheek in his palm, “There’s nothing I can do about it.  We can rest for a moment, if you’d like.”</p><p><br/>“No,” I shook it off, “I need to get back to Echowood…I need to tear the Father a new asshole.”</p><p> </p><p>“Keep your voice down, darling,” Hector held me up, “We can’t have ill word of the Father getting back to them.  That’s how you end up dying.”</p><p> </p><p>“I already feel like I’m dying,” I admitted, finding a comfortable looking stump just off the path, “Why not speed up the process and get this over with?”</p><p> </p><p>The words of my dear uncle came to mind as I watched the heart of the man I loved shatter in his eyes.  It’s not exactly a birthright, but given my last name is Belmont, living is always going to be our luxury.  Our lives are always going to be dedicated to Wallachia and her people.  For as long as the bloodline lasts.  And that was the cross we bear.  I knew what our family name meant.  My mother made sure of it.  And the church has Wallachia by the throat, pumping her head full of lies to keep the people in fear.  Whether they want to believe them or not is not an option.  They need to be set free.  And even though they’ve cast us out (or so they think), we made a promise.  And there’s no way in hell we’re going back on that.</p><p> </p><p>“Eden,” Hector wrapped his arms around me, “I’m not losing you.  And I’m not letting you die.  Not like this.  Not if it means them winning.  You told me we were going to get out of here.  And you never struck me as the type to go back on your word.  If you were, I’d still be in Carmilla’s castle.  God only knows what would’ve happened to me.  We’re not going to let that happen again.  You know as well as I do.  The Father is just another Carmilla.”</p><p> </p><p>“Only without the love for me,” I took his hand, “And Carmilla had bigger balls than him.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re not wrong,” he chuckled a bit, “Come on.  Echowood’s not much farther.  The gates are just up ahead.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yay…” Hector got me thinking.  This is a lot like when we went up against Carmilla.  Hector was being kept against his will, forced into shit he didn’t deserve…Although, in a sick, twisted way, I almost wish we were up against Carmilla again.  That way, I could at least peg her evilness on something.  I could peg it on her being a vampire.  I’ve only met one vampire that wasn’t evil and it took the love of a good, human woman to make him that way.  But the moment that woman was taken away…Well, we all know how that ended up.  But I knew that if I tried hard enough, I could peg the Father’s evilness on the church, but that isn’t quite the same.  Humans and vampires all have the capability of being good, so why would they waste their energies on being evil? </p><p> </p><p>When Hector and I finally got back to the Echowood gates, Brother Albert stood there, watching us come up the path.  He turned his head to me, “Are you alright, Miss Eden?”</p><p> </p><p>I didn’t want to talk to him.  I didn’t want him to breathe in my airspace.  If I opened my mouth, it’d only be some incredibly colorful language that would likely piss him off.  Yet again, my love for Hector knew no bounds.  Especially when he understood my current situation, “She’s not feeling well.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry to hear that,” Brother Albert lied through his fucking teeth.  If he knew what I was, he’d be over the goddamn moon to know I was sick.  Or that I was powerless, “Do you know what it could be?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s probably a little cold,” Hector brushed him off, “Nothing to worry about.  I’m sure she’ll be fine in the next day or two.”</p><p> </p><p>Or as soon as I get my powers back and rip the fucking clergy apart.  Brother Albert crossed himself, not that it’d do him much good, “I hope so.  May God grant you a swift recovery.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, Brother Albert,” Hector smiled politely and carried me off.  God had nothing to do with this.  This isn’t allegedly God’s will.  This is the will of spiteful priests that need to be eviscerated for playing a cruel joke on me.  I’m not evil.  I serve no demons.  I serve the people of Wallachia.  I always have.  I’ve saved them from becoming fucking cattle for vampires.  Is that so terrible?  Is that the evil they’re trying to prevent?  I might be tired beyond all belief, but that’s not going to stop me from going back into that…</p><p> </p><p>Oh, no…</p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, my cold blood ran even colder, “Hector…”</p><p> </p><p>“What is it, Eden?” he glanced down at me, “Do we need to stop again?”</p><p> </p><p>“Adrian went into that church this morning…” my heart stopped, “Adrian and I are one in the same.  You don’t think…This is going to happen to him, too…Do you?”</p><p> </p><p>“Eden,” Hector sat me down on a nearby bench.  Good.  Because my knees felt like they were about to give out, “Alucard will be just fine.”</p><p> </p><p>“How do you know?” I got defensive, “How do you know he’s not going to end up like this?”</p><p> </p><p>“Because he’s a little stronger than you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hey…” Great.  Because it’s not good enough that I’m without my powers, but kick a girl while she’s down. </p><p> </p><p>“It’s true, Eden,” Hector pulled me into his arms, “Your other half came from someone like Godbrand.  Although, he was considerably powerful while he was alive, he was no Dracula.  Dracula didn’t get to the top by slaughtering and fucking everything and turning it into a boat.  Alucard has Dracula’s DNA in him.  Hopefully, that’ll ultimately be his saving grace.  As strange as that is to think about.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok…” That did make me feel a little better.  But not entirely, “Hector…I’m scared.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know you are, my love,” he kissed my forehead, “I know you are.  But think of it this way.  When we first met, you told me you never really relied heavily on your power.  And it got you that far.”</p><p> </p><p>“That was before I realized what I was missing out on,” I grumbled, my heavy head using his shoulder as a pillow, “That was before I realized what I was fully capable of if I would’ve stopped limiting myself.  And I became a force of nature that only I could control.  And it took that much to take out Carmilla.  If the Father isn’t any different, how the hell am I supposed to stop him?”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t remember you taking out Carmilla entirely on your own…”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” I scoffed, “With my dhampir brother, who may or may not end up in the same, sorry state I’m in and my forgemaster lover who is also, in his own way, in the same, sorry state I’m in.  Look at us, Hector.  I don’t see us winning this one.  Not like this.”</p><p> </p><p>“But that doesn’t mean we won’t try.”</p><p> </p><p>“You know,” I hid a smile in his shoulder, “You’re disgustingly optimistic today.”</p><p> </p><p>“One of us has to be,” Hector gave me one last kiss, “Come on.  Let’s go see if we can find someone we trust.”</p><p> </p><p>“And maybe commit light arson on the way?” I hoped.</p><p> </p><p>“No arson,” he stopped me, “Not right now.”</p><p> </p><p>“Fine…” Buzzkill.</p><p> </p><p>Hector helped me back onto my feet and the two of us started heading back toward the church.  The cobblestone streets of Echowood were not doing my legs any favors and I could only ask Hector to carry me so far.  Fortunately, the porcelain face of aristocracy that I knew and loved stuck out in a crowd.  And by the looks of things, he was unmarred.  That’s comforting.  Despite the pains in my body I didn’t want to deal with, I caught a quick burst of energy.</p><p> </p><p>“Adrian!” I ran across the square and jumped into my brother’s arms, hugging him tight.  Don’t look at me like that.  The church scares the shit out of me and we don’t both need to be down with whatever bullshit they’ve given us.</p><p> </p><p>“Hello, Eden,” Adrian regained his footing, “Always happy to see you, too.  Are you alright?”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t care about me,” I brushed him off, “What about you?  How are you feeling?”</p><p> </p><p>“I feel fine,” he reported, “I’m alright.  I just had an interesting conversation with the Father about our own visions of enlightenment and what that may mean.  It was quite the eye opener.  Although some of his philosophical views are slightly skewed, they were interesting.  Why?  How are you?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m…” I felt a lump swell in the back of my throat.  No.  I’m not crying.  I refuse.  I know I’m in a rather tight spot, but I am not going to shed tears for them.  I whispered in Adrian’s ear, “I have no powers…I’m totally human.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re…?” Adrian put me back down on the ground, looking me over closely, “Of course, you’re human.  Aren’t we all?”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not <em>our </em>kind of human,” I elaborated, hoping that might put something into place.</p><p> </p><p>“Oh…” he pieced it all together, “Oh?  How?”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know,” I shivered, “I wish I did, but I couldn’t have breakfast this morning.”</p><p> </p><p>“Come to think of it,” Adrian took my hand, “I don’t think I could have breakfast this morning either.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll ask you again,” I reiterated, “How are you feeling?”</p><p> </p><p>“I…” he shut his eyes for a brief moment, “I can’t hear your heartbeat, Eden.  Normally, I can hear everything, right down to the blood running in your veins.”</p><p> </p><p>“And right now,” I admitted, “It’s running like a fucking plow horse.”</p><p> </p><p>“So, I’m out of sorts as well,” Adrian’s gaze fell to the ground, “What are we supposed to do?  I’m supposed to send Trevor next.”</p><p> </p><p>“Uncle Trevor doesn’t have any powers,” I pointed out, “At least he’ll be safe from whatever the hell has befallen us.”</p><p> </p><p>“And if magic does become a necessity for us,” Hector finally caught up, “We still have Sypha.  You think whatever the church has done can strip anyone of their magic or just you two?”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know.” We had too many variables on the table and not nearly enough leverage.  And I didn’t like it.</p><p> </p><p>“Given that you and I have walked into that church and walked out without our power,” Adrian figured, “I’m sure that’s not going to sit well with Trevor.”</p><p> </p><p>“More so me than you,” I clarified, “Sorry, Adrian.  When it comes down to it, I’m the favorite.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know,” he pulled me into his chest, “But on the other hand, if we send Trevor in there, we might end up losing the Father.  Your uncle and a priest left unattended is never a good idea.  For either one of them.”</p><p> </p><p>“Rumor has it,” I remembered something about this from this morning, “Uncle Trevor once whipped a priest’s eye out.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s true,” Adrian confirmed, “I didn’t quite see it happen, but I heard it above me.  Because heaven forbid anyone can get a decent year’s sleep under Gresit when Trevor’s there.”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re not wrong,” I giggled a bit, in desperate need of a laugh, “Adrian…Should we be worried?”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s the big question, isn’t it?” he ran his fingers down my back, “I think we’ll be ok.  Soon enough.  Once we get the fuck out of here.”</p><p> </p><p>“I couldn’t agree more,” I hated it here.  I wanted to go home, “Should we tell the others about us?”</p><p> </p><p>“I think we should just send Trevor,” Adrian decided, “He’s too set in his ways to ever be converted and he doesn’t practice magic.  He should be ok.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok,” I couldn’t argue with him, “But we need to get out powers back, Adrian.  The sooner we can get out of here, the better.”</p><p> </p><p>“We will,” he kissed the top of my head, “We’ll get our powers back, get out of here, and then, we go home for dinner.  Sound like a plan?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, please.”</p><p> </p><p>The three of us left the unholy ground that church stood on and went back to the only place that could possibly make sense in this place.  All the speakers were dispersed throughout the town with the exception of Sypha.  Sypha and Uncle Trevor stayed behind with Mari.  That little girl needed to be protected with every ounce of strength we had.  And who better to keep an eye on her than…Well…Her own parents?  Her mother, the mage, and her father, the warrior.  I’d like to see anyone try.</p><p> </p><p>“Welcome back,” Sypha greeted us, “How was it?”</p><p> </p><p>“Eden and I are syphoned of our powers.” Let no one ever say Adrian couldn’t be blunt, “The church is clearly a cult.  And good luck, Belmont.  The Father wants to see you next.”</p><p> </p><p>“Hold on,” Uncle Trevor did his best to wrap his head around what just fell out of Adrian’s mouth, “What?”</p><p> </p><p>“Eden and I are human, the church has something to do with it, and the Father wants to see you.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, yes,” he rolled his eyes, “I get that.  How are you and Eden powerless?”</p><p> </p><p>“There’s something being piped through that church,” I figured, “And I think that’s what’s getting to us.  It might not have syphoned our abilities, but it’s definitely putting a heavy damper on them.”</p><p> </p><p>“And,” Uncle Trevor thought, “He wants to see me?”</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t have magic in you,” Adrian pointed out, “You’re relatively safe.”</p><p> </p><p>“Only relatively?”</p><p> </p><p>“As long as you can keep your temper in check,” I argued, “You’ll be fine.”</p><p> </p><p>And the little giggle that came out of Mari may have extended my life by several decades.  There’s what I needed.  That was the healing my soul needed.  And to make it even better, it caught the attention of her father, “Excuse me?”</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t like priests, Daddy,” Mari pointed out, “And when you get near them, you get angry.”</p><p> </p><p>“I know…” But I don’t think he was expecting Mari to call his ass out like that, “I’ll be fine.”</p><p> </p><p>“Look at that, Belmont,” Adrian smirked a bit, “You’re awfully perceptive, Mari.”</p><p> </p><p>“Alucard,” Sypha took the fun out of it, “Please.  Play nice.”</p><p> </p><p>“Watch yourself, Alucard,” Uncle Trevor got cocky in Adrian’s face, “From what I understand, you’re just as human as I am these days.  If I were you, I’d be careful.”</p><p> </p><p>Without another thought, Adrian flicked him in the forehead, catching Uncle Trevor off guard, “I didn’t need my powers for that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Boys…” Sypha stopped them, “No.  I asked for you both to play nice.  Trevor, you had that coming.  Alucard, you didn’t need to poke the bear.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry, Sypha…” Adrian bit his tongue.</p><p> </p><p>“What he said…” Uncle Trevor agreed.</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Sypha wasn’t having it.</p><p> </p><p>“Fine,” he groaned.  It’s adorable, really.  They’re both slaves to her, “Sorry, Sypha…”</p><p> </p><p>“Alright then,” Sypha kissed his cheek, “Go on.  We’ll be waiting for you when you get back.  I’m going to see if there’s anything I can do about Eden and Alucard.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, Sypha,” I smiled a bit.  If anyone could even begin to reverse whatever the hell is going on with us, it’d be her. </p><p> </p><p>“I’ll be back later,” Uncle Trevor promised, “And without casualties.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll go with you,” Hector volunteered, warming me inside.</p><p> </p><p>“No,” Uncle Trevor shot him down, “It’d be too suspicious.”</p><p> </p><p>“Besides,” Sypha stepped in, “I could use a hand.  I’m sure you have a basic knowledge of spellcasting, don’t you, Hector?”</p><p> </p><p>“With or without my medallions?” Hector joked darkly.</p><p> </p><p>“Either way,” she brushed him off, “At the very least, I wouldn’t mind having someone to keep Mari occupied while I’m working.  And she does seem to have soft spot for you.”</p><p> </p><p>“She’s got good taste,” I approved.</p><p> </p><p>“Ok, ok,” Uncle Trevor hushed me, giving Sypha one more kiss, “I promise I’ll be back.”</p><p> </p><p>“You better, Trevor Belmont,” Sypha threatened, her finger firmly affixed in his chest, “If you’re not home by dinner, you’re sleeping in the wagon tonight.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, ma’am.” But then, a little body latched to his leg, “You stay here.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll go with you, Daddy,” Mari told him.</p><p> </p><p>“Like hell you are,” Uncle Trevor decided, “You’re staying right here.  They don’t know you exist, Mari.  It needs to stay that way.”</p><p> </p><p>“But Daddy…”</p><p> </p><p>“Don’t but Daddy me,” he handed her back to her mother, “You’ll be able to leave soon, Mari.  I promise.  We’ll be done soon, ok?”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok,” Mari didn’t want to let him go, but she wasn’t going to argue with him.  I didn’t want Uncle Trevor to go either.  But he’ll be alright.  Like I said, he doesn’t use magic.  The closest he’s got is when he pulls out the Morningstar and that’s not directly from him.</p><p> </p><p>“We could use the library right now,” Adrian sat down while Mari crawled into his lap.</p><p> </p><p>“I do remember a few things from the hold,” Sypha thought back.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t think erectile dysfunction is the problem here,” I pointed out.</p><p> </p><p>“I actively try to suppress those,” she shuddered, her optimism returning in the next breath, “But I’ll do my best!”</p>
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<a name="section0019"><h2>19. Witchcraft</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry, guys.  I know this us up kind of late (my kind of late anyway).  I got tied up between taking care of my nephew and working on a birthday cake for my sister-in-law, but what matters is we have it now.  And we have each other.  And we have three more sleepies until season 4, so…You know.  Win?  Alright.  Let’s get into it then.</p><p> </p><p>Also, to those of you who have been binging the hell out of this recently, I see you.  I love you.  And keep doing what you’re doing.  It’s nice to see my little underappreciated gem get some traffic.</p><p> </p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sypha was truly a master of her craft.  To watch her do magic was an art form and it kept us all enthralled.  And no one loved watching Sypha at work more than her own daughter.  Mari’s magical knowledge was limited.  Mostly because she’d drive Sypha crazy asking.  And Sypha threatened Adrian and me with death if we taught her little girl magic.  That didn’t mean Sypha wouldn’t occasionally let her help.  With the little things anyway. </p><p> </p><p>“Alright, Mari,” Sypha watched her throw herbs in with reckless abandon, “What do we do now?”</p><p> </p><p>“Um…” Mari thought for a minute.  She had nothing.  And she didn’t know what to do with herself, so she did the one thing she could think of.  Her eyes started welling up.  And because Uncle Alucard couldn’t allow for such things, he whispered something into her ear.  And all was well, “We add the magic part!”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s right,” Sypha shot a thankful look toward Adrian.  She didn’t want to see Mari crying either, “And how do I do that?”</p><p> </p><p>“Intent first, then cast your will?”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s my girl,” she kissed Mari’s little cheek, giving the herbs a quick enchanting, “And now, I need some wine.”</p><p> </p><p>“Me, too,” I agreed.  It’s been a long day. </p><p> </p><p>“I third that,” Adrian chimed in.</p><p> </p><p>“I think there’s another bottle of communion wine in the wagon,” I’m pretty sure Uncle Trevor and I never cracked open that second bottle.</p><p> </p><p>“How did you get your hands on communion wine?” Hector wondered, “That’s kept in the church’s cellar and it’s usually locked.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, Hector,” I put my hand to his cheek, “My dear, sweet, beautiful Hector.  Do you forget what I am?  What I can do?  Or…At least what I <em>could </em>do.  A quick teleportation in and out and I had my wine.  I’m a Belmont, sweetheart.  If I want a drink, you can bet your sweet ass I’m getting one.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m sure you make your mother proud,” Adrian teased me.</p><p> </p><p>“Absolutely,” I confirmed, “But Sypha, what do you need the wine for?”</p><p> </p><p>“Alcohol helps bind these together,” Sypha explained, “Not to mention, they’ll go down easier.  And why not?”</p><p> </p><p>“You spend too much time with Trevor, Sypha,” Adrian jabbed, “That’s him rubbing off on you.”</p><p> </p><p>“But you have to admit,” she shrugged, “He has a point.”</p><p> </p><p>“With some things,” he nodded, “Don’t tell him I said that.  We wouldn’t want him getting a big head.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s big enough,” Sypha giggled to herself, her cheeks slowly turning a light shade of pink.</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll go get the wine,” Hector volunteered, “You said it was in the wagon, right, Eden?”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s right,” I confirmed, “At least I think it is.  Don’t quote me.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ll be right back,” he gave me a quick kiss and went on his way.</p><p> </p><p>“This should work,” Sypha stared into her bowl with a smile on her face, “I hope it does anyway.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sometimes,” Adrian sat on the edge of the table, “We could use a little witchcraft to solve the problems standard sorcery can’t take care of.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not exactly proud of myself for witchcraft,” she admitted, “But it’s a necessary evil.”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s not black magic if it’s for pure intentions,” I assured her, “And that’s coming from someone whose family is entirely made of black magicians.  Don’t tell Uncle Trevor I said that.  He’ll have my ass for that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Probably,” Adrian agreed, “But you’re not wrong, Eden.  He just refuses to face the facts.”</p><p> </p><p>“Can I learn witchcraft, too, Mama?” Mari crawled into her mother’s lap.</p><p> </p><p>“When you’re older,” Sypha decided, “Magic takes a toll on your body and yours needs to grow just a little more before magic stunts it.”</p><p> </p><p>“Ok…”</p><p> </p><p>The front door creaked back open, “It’s half full, but this should be enough, right, Sypha?”</p><p> </p><p>“It should be,” Sypha took the bottle, judging its weight, “Enough for Alucard and enough for Eden.”</p><p> </p><p>“Eden would be more than happy to finish off that bottle,” I promised, “Fuck Alucard.”</p><p> </p><p>“Excuse me?” Adrian gasped, “I want to get back to rights just as much as you do.”</p><p> </p><p>Sypha put her hands over her daughter’s ears and kept her voice down, “That was one time.  And Trevor was alright with it.  It was more or less to settle a curiosity.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sypha…” I awed, “You minx.  If it were anyone else, I’d be giving you a high five, but it’s my brother…”</p><p> </p><p>“Sorry,” she uncovered Mari’s ears, “But like I said, curiosities needed to be settled.  And that was ages ago.”</p><p> </p><p>“And yet,” Adrian pointed out, “You chose to procreate with Trevor.”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t need to eat cake for every meal,” Sypha threw the wine into the bowl and let the herbs simmer over the fire.</p><p> </p><p>“We’re having cake?” Mari perked up.</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t think you want that kind of cake, Mari,” Hector figured it out, “And I think I might have walked in at an odd time.”</p><p> </p><p>“And I understand,” Adrian let it go, “I wouldn’t say no to Trevor either.”</p><p> </p><p>“You didn’t, if I remember correctly,” Sypha gave the herbs a little stir, “I think this is really going to work.”</p><p> </p><p>“I need my vampiric half back, Sypha,” I tapped my foot anxiously, “I want some blood so damn bad.  You have no idea how badly it broke my heart today to let good squirrel blood go to waste.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, Eden,” Adrian wrapped his arms around me, “I’m so sorry.”</p><p> </p><p>“I almost cried,” I curled into his shoulder.</p><p> </p><p>“It’s true,” Hector confirmed, “I saw the whole thing.  She passed up fox, too.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, Eden,” Adrian held me tighter, “Hopefully, whatever Sypha’s making will set us back to the way we were and we’ll be able to have another proper hunt.”</p><p> </p><p>“God, I hope so,” I was curious about how evenly matched our human abilities were, though.  Something tells me Adrian relied more on his dhampir state than I did.  Which explains why I could still probably kick ass with the best of them.  Just without my strength on my side.  The superhuman kind anyway.</p><p> </p><p>“Well,” Sypha started filling glasses for us, “It should be done.  I’ve never done this before, so if it doesn’t, please don’t yell at me.”</p><p> </p><p>“The fact that you’re trying is plenty, Sypha,” Adrian put a hand to her shoulder, “And I’m sure we couldn’t be more grateful.”</p><p> </p><p>“He’s right,” I took my glass, just happy to get some wine in me, “We need to get back into fighting shape.  Especially if we’re going to take the church on.  We need all of us for that.”</p><p> </p><p>“Yes, we do,” Adrian raised his glass to me, “Cheers?”</p><p> </p><p>“Cheers…” We both threw it back and I thought Adrian was going to throw up, “What’s the matter, Adrian?  Can’t hold your liquor the way you thought you could?”</p><p> </p><p>“Communion wine never agreed with me,” he shuddered, doing his best to hold himself together. </p><p> </p><p>“I’m sorry,” I winced, “That’s all we had.  And it’s not like we can get anything else without taking a day’s trip in the wagon.  Neither one of us can teleport anymore.”</p><p> </p><p>“So, how long before this kicks in, Sypha?” Adrian turned his attention to the poor, lost soul, staring out the window, “Sypha?”</p><p> </p><p>“Sypha?” I called out to her, but she didn’t even budge, “Sypha, are you ok?”</p><p> </p><p>“It’s nothing,” she shook it off, “Maybe in the next hour or so.  I’m not sure.  It’ll kick in when it wants to.  I’m sorry.  I’m a little…preoccupied.”</p><p> </p><p>I knew that look.  I’ve seen that look in the mirror every day for the last two years.  I knew exactly what went through Sypha’s head right now.  And she had seen him only a few hours ago, “He’ll be back.”</p><p> </p><p>“But he should’ve been back by now,” Sypha pulled on the sleeve of her robes, “I’m starting to worry.”</p><p> </p><p>“Trevor should be fine,” Adrian sat with her, “He’s not a magic user, so there’s nothing they can do to him.  This side of killing him, but something tells me that wouldn’t be looked upon favorably.  And it’s not like Trevor’s going to tell him who he is.  Not all of who he is.”</p><p> </p><p>“But you know as well as I do,” Sypha rested her heavy head on his shoulder, “Trevor’s mouth is what gets him into trouble.  And when priests get involved, you know he can be scrappy.”</p><p> </p><p>“Even when priests aren’t involved,” I joined them, “He really can get scrappy.”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh, God,” Sypha held her face in her hands, “And he’s <em>sober.</em>  His attacks are going to be much more focused and that much more powerful.”</p><p> </p><p>“Is he unarmed?” Adrian wondered.</p><p> </p><p>“They would’ve made sure he was at the door,” Hector chimed in.</p><p> </p><p>I took a quick glance around the room, “I don’t see the Morningstar anywhere.”</p><p> </p><p>“Please, Trevor…” Sypha begged, “Please…Be careful…”</p><p> </p><p>“Well,” Adrian peeked out the window, “The church is still standing.  And I don’t hear any commotion.”</p><p> </p><p>“Adrian,” I sighed out, “Our powers don’t work right now.  You’re not going to hear commotion.  Not from this far away.”</p><p> </p><p>“That’s right…” he grumbled, “How do humans do it?”</p><p> </p><p>“I don’t know,” I shrugged, “I’m not exactly human either.”</p><p> </p><p>“Whatever you gave us, Sypha,” Adrian demanded, “That better have done something.  Anything.  I wouldn’t want to have had communion wine for no reason.  That’s vile.”</p><p> </p><p>“Next time we’re without our dhampir powers,” I promised him, “I’ll make sure we have better wine with us.  But for now, we had to make a sacrifice.”</p><p> </p><p>“Lucky us…”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m going to go check in with the Father,” Hector snuck in one last kiss before he left, “I’ll make sure Trevor’s ok.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, Hector,” Sypha’s voice softened up.</p><p> </p><p>“When you’re feeling better,” he cradled my face in his palm, “Meet me at the teashop.  Ok?”</p><p> </p><p>“I will,” I melted inside.  I really did miss having Hector around.  And every little touch sent the best chills through my body.  And watching him walk out wasn’t the worst thing in the world.  I like that, too.</p><p> </p><p>“Eden…” Adrian looked like he was in pain.  I didn’t feel anything from what Sypha gave us.  One would think we’d feel that at the same time, but…No…This was something else, “I don’t think we should entirely trust Hector yet.”</p><p> </p><p>Ouch…That was the knife to the gut I didn’t need today.  Because it’s not bad enough I’m rendered powerless.  Let’s throw that into the hellish mixture, “Why not?”</p><p> </p><p>“Right now,” Adrian held me close, “Hector’s another pair of hands the church can choke us with.  He’s under their spell as much as everyone else in this village.  And you know it.”</p><p> </p><p>“He has a point, Eden,” Sypha took Adrian’s side, “And they’re going to use your love for Hector to keep you blind to it.  And if the church is controlling their flock, then that means Hector, too.”</p><p> </p><p>I didn’t want to admit it.  Hell, I didn’t even want to think it.  But they were right.  And I hated nothing more in this world than the fact that they were right.  I needed to punch something, but given my recent power loss, that probably wouldn’t work out for me.  I don’t have my accelerated healing anymore either, so anything broken would take an eternity to heal.  I stared blankly at the other side of the room, “I fucking hate the church.  I hate it so fucking much.”</p><p> </p><p>“We all do, “Adrian cradled me, “But hopefully, everything will be ok.  We’ll get our powers back.  We’ll take out the church.  We’ll grab Hector, who will hopefully be out from under their spell, and go home.  How does that sound?”</p><p> </p><p>“Like it can’t come soon enough,” I wanted to cry.  I wanted to cry so badly, but I knew it wouldn’t do any good.  What are my tears going to do?  Are they going to stop the church?  Are they going to bring <em>my </em>Hector back?  No.  But…I’m pretty sure dropping the Father to his knees would probably make me feel a little better.  With the tip of my knife to his throat.  And the Morningstar in my belt, ready to taste his blood, too.  Or maybe once everything Sypha gave us kicks in, I could taste his blood.  I know I promised my mother I wouldn’t taste human blood, but after Carmilla giving me that nun’s blood…I wonder if a priest would taste any different.</p><p> </p><p>Fortunately, before I could act on such stupidities, the front door creaked back open.  That’s comforting.  Either it was Hector or Uncle Trevor.  And either one would make me feel better.  But…With what Sypha and Adrian were saying, I’m not sure how much better Hector could make me feel right now.  But I heard heavy footsteps.  There’s no way in hell that was Hector.  Even Hector now.  Those were Uncle Trevor’s boots on the hardwood.  One less thing I had to worry about.</p><p> </p><p>“Trevor!” Sypha jumped up and threw her arms around his neck, “I’m so glad you’re back.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m glad to be back,” Uncle Trevor gave her a well-deserved kiss, “Where’s Mari?”</p><p> </p><p>“Mari!” Sypha called for her, “It’s safe, sweetheart.”</p><p> </p><p>“Daddy!” Mari ran up to Uncle Trevor like any other day and leapt into his arms.  Although, Adrian’s grip on my hand tightened.  That’s odd.  I wasn’t expecting that one.  But he had a point. </p><p> </p><p>Something about Uncle Trevor seemed off.  He shot a nervous glance at Adrian and me.  And I didn’t like that one, “Uncle Trevor?  Are you ok?”</p><p> </p><p>“Yeah,” he shook it off, “I’m fine.  I’m…I’m more than just fine.  The Father and I just had the strangest conversation.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’ve heard this one before,” Adrian seemed a little more protective over me than he did before.  And I couldn’t blame him.  Something happened in there.  Even though Trevor’s not a magic user, he does not break this easily.  There’s no fucking way they didn’t do something to him in there.  There’s no fucking way it was just a conversation. </p><p> </p><p>“I mean it, though,” Uncle Trevor assured him, “But even though it’s one of those things that has to come from the top of the pecking order…The Belmont family’s excommunication just got lifted.”</p><p> </p><p>“How did he know you were a Belmont?” I jumped on the defensive.  Not on the fact that we’re no longer on the excommunication list, but because the Father knows who we are.  At the very least, he knows who Uncle Trevor is.  Hopefully, he kept his mouth shut on the rest of us.  Particularly me. </p><p> </p><p>“We got to talking,” he explained, “And it just…Came out.  I don’t know why, but it just came up.”</p><p> </p><p>“What else happened, Trevor?” Adrian worried, “What else did the Father say?  He wasn’t just going to tell you the Belmont excommunication was lifted.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not totally sure,” Uncle Trevor scratched his head, a smile creeping across his face…I don’t like where this is headed.  I had the worst uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.  And I know that wasn’t the communion wine, “But I think I might have started the process for me becoming ordained…”</p><p> </p><p>Oh…Fuck…</p>
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